


It's Worth the Guilt

by HighlyGlamorous



Category: The Phantom Stallion Series - Terri Farley
Genre: F/M, High School, Humor, Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Romance, Slow Build, Stripping, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, This is post series so you don't really need to have read this series to understand it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-24 22:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 39,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22165237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HighlyGlamorous/pseuds/HighlyGlamorous
Summary: [This is post-series and there isn't much from the books anyway so having read the books is not a requirement to understand the story.]Sam finds that as she gets older she is being faced with many hard decisions, that often leave her feeling guilty. With the help of her friends and family, she will have to figure our if in the end it is all worth it. What will she do when her childhood crush is going through baby mama drama? Will she lean into his brothers helping hand? Sam is simply trying to get through her senior year.
Kudos: 1





	1. The Phone Call

**Author's Note:**

> AN: This is a story I completed a while ago on Fanfiction.net and I wanted to repost it here so that both my AO3 and Fanfiction have the same work. I will be uploading chapters slowly as there are about 40 of them and this takes some time to do. If you want to finish the whole thing go to Fanfiction, it has the same title and I use the same pen name. There is also a sequel which I am still working on and will upload on here once I finish posting this one. 
> 
> Please enjoy :)

The sun was setting over the mountains but the heat of summer still lingered at River Bend Ranch. Samantha Forster leaned against the fence watching the horses graze and trot enjoying the last of the summer sun. Sam loved looking at horses, especially mustangs, wild mustangs. Her favorite of course was the one she couldn't really see long enough to enjoy. The Phantom was always in constant danger of being captured by not so nice people who wanted to make money off of him.

Sam shuddered at the thought. Then she brushed all those nasty thoughts aside and continued watching the horses. Ever since she got back from San Francisco, five years ago, she couldn't get enough of horses, hell the first year and a half she was back she got in so much trouble because of how many horses where in her life.

Sam couldn't help chuckling at the memories.

"What you laughing at?" a familiar voice came from behind her. Cody, Sam's three year old little brother. He had gone from saying his first word which was cute, to asking a billion questions which was not so cute.

"The horses" Sam answered while turning to face him.

"They funny looking huh!" Cody said looking at the horses.

"Not as funny looking as you" Sam said with a smile in her voice. As soon as the words left her mouth she began tickling her little brother. Cody started giggling and so was Sam.

"Let your brother breathe" their dad said. Sam stopped tickling Cody and both turned to see their dad, but they were still giggling. Wyatt Forster was a cowboy thru and thru. He was tall, strong, and looked like someone who had only known hard work. Hard work creased itself permanently on his face. However, smiling like he was now he looked ten years younger.

"Having fun!" Cody told his dad.

"Well go have fun inside, dinner time is almost here." He answered his toddler.

Sam took Cody's hand and started walking towards the ranch house. She heard the phone ring twice and stop. _Someone must have answered it._ She thought to herself.

"Samantha, phone for you." her Gram's voice carried from the kitchen door. They walked inside the warm kitchen and Sam let go of Cody's hand to grab the phone.

"Hello" she said as a nervous question.

"Sam, its Jen" Jennifer Kenworthy, her sarcastic best friend in blonde braids was calling her.

"Hey Jen, What's up?" Sam asked clearly more relaxed.

"The roof. Anyways guess what my mom just told me." Jen told Sam with a very gossiping tone.

"You're adopted" Sam answered back with fake surprise, earning a reproachful look from her Gram.

"I wish," Jen laughed, "Jk. Anyways no, not that, guess again." She finished.

"You eloped" Sam answered again with fake surprise, earning another reproachful look from her Gram.

"I doubly wish, but no, third time the charm?" Jen told her.

"You joined the circus" Sam answered exactly like the last two times. Instead of giving Sam another look, her Gram turned towards Sam.

"Jennifer please tell your friend here the '411' as you say before she turns you into a double oh seven spy out to save London from aliens." Gram said loud enough for Jen to hear through the phone. Then turned around and continued making dinner.

At that Sam and Jen laughed hard.

"Well double-oh-seven I agree with Gram please tell me because my next guesses are leading me up that road." Sam told her best friend.

"Fine, but you ain't gonna like it." Jen said. And though you could hear the laughter lingering in her voice there was an underlying tone that made Sam nervous.

"Tell me." Sam spoke again all laughter erased from her voice; she got a bad feeling in her stomach. Like when a student gets called into the principals office and has no idea what they could have done wrong and everyone is looking at them because they know that they had to have done something, ANYTHING, wrong.

"Well" she lingered. "My mom ran into Mrs. Ely at the mall today" she paused waiting for Sam to say something. Mrs. Ely! Ely! Sam's insides started trembling but she stayed quiet. There had to be more.

Jen took Sam's silence as a "Continue please" and did.

"They got to talking because Mrs. Ely seemed all happy and bouncy, or so my mom says." She stopped again. There where many things that could make Mrs. Ely happy. Like all her students did their homework perfectly. Right…

Wrong!

Still Sam stayed quiet, though now her hands were perilously close to shaking. She even felt her skin lighten two shades.

"And well" Jen lingered again, "uhm, Jkaescbakhmoe" she said the last part so fast it sounded like gibberish, gibberish that for some reason sounded crystal clear in Sam's mind because she was expecting this announcment since Jen first mentioned Mrs. Ely.

"What?" Sam asked in a confused tone; though she was far from confused she still hoped that maybe she was just imagining.

"Ugh!" Jen said frustrated, "JAKES. BACK. HOME." she spoke each word as a sentence.

Sam blinked. Swallowed. And before she gave herself time to fully process the words, and their meaning, she spoke.

"Oh, well that's nice. Gotta go. Dinner's ready. Talk to you later. Bye" she said rapidly and hung up the phone drowning her best friends protest's that were coming out of the phone with that action.

Still not giving herself time to process, she went upstairs to wash up for dinner. Thankfully, as soon as she was done her Gram's voice traveled upstairs announcing dinner was ready.

Sam had a nice family dinner full of conversation and laughing and joking and eating. Though at first she was somewhat frozen she soon thawed and managed to put the conversation she had had with Jen in a small little drawer in the back of her mind that she had kept master locked and crazy glued since a certain someone had left for college.

_And that's how it's going to stay_. Sam thought


	2. Sad Memories

Sam sat on her bed brushing through her long, wet auburn hair trying to numb her mind. She didn't want to think about anything, about life, about the phone call, and especially about him. Half of her mind didn't want to cooperate with her however, and it shot memories at her like sharp knives piercing her body, heart, and soul.

" _Walk over there with me." He asked. His hand still holding mine. I was speechless and shocked, but happy. I allowed it. Why? If I had known what was going to happen, how this would change me I would have pulled my hand back violently and told him to never talk to me again…_

_No. I wouldn't have been able to do that. Ever._

_If someone had told me everything that would have happen from that point to now I know I would still have let him hold my hand._

_At the moment I was happy all over, inside and out. I was surrounded by friends and family and thinking about the Phantom._

_If people stared at us, he didn't care. And him not caring made me not care. We stopped near the barn; we were still in the sight of our family and friends but out of earshot._

_He looked uncomfortable. His mustang eyes showed he was deep in thought. Jake was never a man of many words, like every cowboy in the history of cowboys, so whatever he had to say was probably longer than he wanted._

" _Thank you." He said. I guess it wasn't that long._

" _For?" I answered._

_He hesitated. He rubbed the back of his neck showing how uneasy he was._

" _For everything." He finally said after a long pause._

" _Huh." Was my brilliant response._

" _For coming back. For giving me something…interesting to do. For staying alive." He tripped over his words. He then added a smile, clearly satisfied with himself. "And that last one was very hard with your bad luck…Brat." He added. Then he turned around and walked back to where the majority of people where, leaving me very much confused._

Sam couldn't help smiling at the memory. Even though it squeezed her lungs making it hard to breathe, this had been the nicest thing he had said to her. Even now it made her smile. She had stopped brushing her hair and was moving on to braiding it. Concentrating on that simple task harder than she concentrated on her math homework. She was desperately trying to keep that little drawer in the back of her head master locked and crazy glued. But the crazy glue had already begun to disappear.

" _Brat?" his voice came from the entrance to the barn. It sounded annoyed because it was obvious that I had heard his "Sam's?" and "Brat are you here's" but had decided not to answer._

" _Brat." He didn't say it as a question. He knew I was here._

" _Go away." I replied trying to hide the tears in my voice unsuccessfully. I just wanted to be alone._

" _Sam!?" his voice sounded scared and shocked. I didn't care._

_One second he was in the entrance the next he was next to me._

" _Sam, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice sounded different to me. I had never heard this tone come from him. I was curious, but not curios enough. Me and my bestest friend ever had just gotten in a HUGE fight. We had told each other unforgivable things. I don't think we would make up this time and that scared me._

_I forgot he was even there. I was hurt. I was scared. I was mad. I was sad. I cried._

" _Sam, please" he begged, "don't cry like that." His voice sounded so sweet and tender that I couldn't help but look up at him, tears staining my face. He saw me and did something I had never in a billion years thought he would do._

_He hugged me. He hugged me and let me cry into his shoulders. For some reason this made me feel like a toddler who fell and scraped their knees and cried because it hurt, and then there mother gets them and hugs them telling them everything's okay. It made me cry harder._

Sam wanted to cry, like that day so long ago, but she knew this time he wouldn't come hold her while she cried. Already she could feel the treacherous tears forming in her eyes. They burned like acid and her eyes were begging to let them escape, but Sam had made a vow and she wasn't gonna break it. Of course Jen and she had made up, in large thanks to him.

She had finished braiding her hair and had moved on to putting on her pj's. The crazy glue had completely disappeared. And though the master lock didn't seem as iron strong as it had for the past three years, she was thankfully able to maintain it locked over her drawer.

Sam was successfully able to distract her from that one drawer in her mind. Her mind didn't like that and threw one of the most painful memories at her, like pouring rubbing alcohol and lime juice on a stab wound at the same time.

_It was now or never; I told myself._

_I was sitting in between Gram and Quinn Ely, one of the many Ely brothers, all of which where in attendance. It was his graduation. That September while I'd be starting my sophomore year in high school he'd be going off to college. I'd only see my best friend on long breaks and summer vacation._

_The graduation had just finished and families were pouring into the football field to say their congratulations and take pictures. I was making my way onto the field when my Gram got my wrist firmly._

" _We are gonna go to the Ely's ranch and start setting up for the graduation party." She wasn't asking me and there was no way I could weasel out of it._

_I sighed and let her lead me._

_We got to the Three Ponies Ranch and began setting up tables and chair and placing the food and cups and plates. Thirty minutes after we had arrived we saw a caravan of trucks and cars approaching. Of course every one of our neighbors had been invited as well as other friends._

_The party had been going on for a while and though I had managed to hug and congratulate Jake he was always surrounded by so many people and I didn't have the guts to ask him if we could talk in private in front of so many people._

" _Have you told him yet?" her best friends voice came from next to her._

" _Believe me, Jen you'll be the first person to know when I did it" I answered her. She had asked the same question a billion times._

" _Why haven't you?" she pushed, she wanted me to get it over with and NOT chicken out._

" _There hasn't been a chance." I told her exasperated._

" _A chance for what?" his voice came from behind me. I jumped. "Relax, it's just me Brat." He said chuckling, clearly amused at my reaction._

" _Well you are scary looking." I teased, trying to hide the fact that I was so nervous. I saw Darrell was approaching our little group which meant, again, that there were just too many people._

" _Well I'm gonna go get a soda, be right back" Jen announced giving me a look that read Do it now! She wasn't going to let me chicken out. If stares could kill, Jennifer Kenworthy would be dead. She laughed and hurried off, skillfully whisking the approaching Darrell with her._

_We were alone, together. Finally._

" _So how you liking the party?" I asked as nonchalant as I could manage._

" _S'kay" he replied._

" _It better be more than 'S'kay'" I mimicked him; "they turned me into a slave for this party to get put together." I told him in a fake-angry voice._

_"In that case, it's horrible" he said, the smile in his voice betraying the words he had just spoken._

_"You're horrible" I said laughing while I punched him._

_"Ow!" he over exaggerated. There was no way in hell my punch hurt him, what with all that muscle covering his arm, and back, and stomach, and legs, and better stop myself before I start drooling. He laughed._

_"Come on Brat, lets get back to this awesome party they slaved you for" he said standing up._

_I was a chicken. So I stood up as well and walked with him back to the party._

If she wouldn't have been such a chicken maybe things would have been different and instead of heartache she would be feeling incredible bliss. Jen had called her a chicken that night as they slept on Sam's bed. She called herself a chicken that night when she looked in the mirror. That was one of the worst memories she had, though it seems safe, and even happy, Sam viewed that day as the day she chose wrong.

She hoped that her brain would cooperate with her; Sam's heart just couldn't take it anymore. She heard the phone ring downstairs and heard her dad's voice answer. She listened to his voice, though not really paying attention to what it said. It distracted her. She was falling asleep, when her dad said goodbye and hung up.

It took her brain three seconds to recuperate from the numbness her fathers voice had brought. With an angry fury it exploded the master lock that she had desperately tried to keep on her drawer in the back of her mind and threw the worst and most painful memory she had in this drawer.

_"Jennifer I'll call you later, Im gonna go do it" I said with raw determination._

_"You better!" She answered. "Or else I will!" she said with even more determination than I had and hung up the phone._

_Before I had time to chicken out like last time I wrote a note saying where I'd be and headed out to the barn. I greeted all the horses. They helped calm my nerves._

_I got Ace, mounted, and headed straight to Three Ponies Ranch._

_Time was against me, Jake was leaving tomorrow and I wouldn't see him till Thanksgiving, or maybe Christmas, who knew._

_I let Ace run freely, he enjoyed it and I was thankful for our speedy arrival to the Ely' ranch. I didn't even have to dismount because Quinn and Nate where outside._

_"Hey guys, is...here" I asked._

_"Hey Sam, no he went riding." Quinn answered._

_"He was heading in the direction of the Deerpath ranch." Nate added._

_"Thanks, see ya'll later" I said and turned Ace in the direction of the Deerpath ranch and urged him forward._

_I wasn't even remotely close to being a good of a tracker that he was but his mare Witch left me some pretty easy prints to follow, almost as if she wanted me to complete my mission. So I did. At one point the one set of horse print met another set of horse prints._

_"Who could he be riding with?" I spoke to Ace. We kept riding on and I tried following the hooves as best as I could. The tracks ended at the river. I grunted but dismounted Ace; might as well let him cool down and drink some water; he had behaved well the whole ride. As Ace was drinking water, I heard a familiar neigh coming from some feet down the river. I looked in the general direction and sure enough Witch was there, as well as another horse, both where rider-less._

_I ground tied Ace and walked towards the other horses. As I got closer I began hearing voices. The closer I got the clearer they sounded._

_"So why'd you bring me here" an unfamiliar voice said, too high and frilly to belong to a boy, let alone a man._

_"Just, I had something that I'd been meaning to tell you." An extremely familiar voice answered. This voice belonged to Witch's owner._

_"Well tell me?" the girl voice said in somewhat annoyed tone. I wanted to get closer but something wouldn't let me move. I was frozen in place._

_"Well I kinda wanted to tell you this, before we left to college, together." He said. I could see his mustang eyes shining playfully, he was teasing lightly, prolonging whatever it was he wanted to say. He enjoyed seeing this girl annoyed. Kinda like he enjoys annoying me. My heart beated so fast and loud I was scared that they would be able to hear it. A cold sweat went through my body which was still paralyzed. He was leaving with this girl to college; they were going to be there together. Who was she?_

_"Can you please tell me?" she begged him her sweet voice turned seductive. My stomach fell to the floor, further down than the floor, it fell down to hell._

_"Well," all teasing gone from his voice and uneasiness filling the void. I could picture him rubbing the back of his kneck._

_"Come on, please" she almost purred. If I couldn't move from this spot on Earth, could Earth please open up and swallow me._

_"Well…"he hesitated "uhm," he was nervous "I think…" he paused again._

_"Oh just spit it out!" she practically yelled at him. A fury exploded thru me, I wanted to rip her head off. I couldn't move._

_"Fine." He said with such determination that I could practically hear him thinking, Cowboy up!_

_"Well, I think…" he paused again. What could be so hard for him to say?_

_"I love you." He whispered to the stranger._

_But to me it sounded louder than if he would have gotten a megaphone and shouted it to my ears. Those three words released me from the spell that had me captured there. I ran back to Ace, spooking all three horses. I calmed Ace down as fast as I could, mounted, and ran away._

_I love you._

_Those three little words replayed over and over in my head._

_I love you._

_Tears were falling hard and fast, but I tried to keep my focus on the path ahead._

_I love you._

_That was what I was going to say._

The drawer in the back of her mind exploded open. All these years she kept it tightly locked. He had come back before and this had never happen. Of course he only came back every June since he had left to college, and Sam had managed to keep herself extremely busy all through high school to avoid encountering him. She had taken acting classes so that when she did, for those few, rare moments she could act being happy and excited. She even emailed with him, of course it was rare but, it was easy to pretend through emails. She never asked about that girl, and he thankfully never offered any details. This June he came back for only a week and she had managed to see him once for about three seconds. Everyone thought it was strange that he stayed so long over there. Sam always assumed that it was because he was so happy with river lady that he didn't care anymore.

After that fateful day near the river she vowed to NEVER cry for him. Why should she cry over a guy who broke her fragile heart and didn't even know about it? Yet she didn't want to push her luck so she avoided saying his name at ALL costs.

Everyone around her noticed the change, but no one said anything. Not even her best friend, Jen.

Of all the times that Jen had called to inform he was back, why had this one cause the drawer in the back of her mind to explode open? Sam felt she knew the answer but was too afraid to even think of the possibility.

For the first time in three years tears escaped her eyes like a fast and furious waterfall. Though she made no noise, she was afraid that her family would be able to hear the sound of the few pieces of heart she had manage to salvage and tape together being ripped apart.

_Oh, Jake!_ She thought his name for the first time in a long time.


	3. Conspiracy

"Beep! Beep!" Sam's alarm screamed at her to wake up.

"Ugh." Sam groaned as she stuck her arm out to shut it up.

"Samantha, wake up, wake up!" Cody was already in her room tugging at her arm which now hung out of under the covers.

"Go away" Sam mumbled as she turned her body to give her back to Cody.

"Sammy!" he whined, "We have to go outside there's big surprise." He said then he giggled, and was about to say something else when Brynna walked into her room.

"Okay, Cody stop harassing your sister," Brynna said clearly amused and even more clearly cutting off whatever Cody was about to say, "and Samantha breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes so I suggest you start getting ready." The twinkle in her eyes as she said the last part made Sam wonder why it was there and what it meant but she obeyed regardless.

She could hear Gram cooking and talking from where she was and it comforted her. She needed comfort, Sam still felt shaky over what happened last night. The memory attacked with ferocity but the pain that shot through her chest was a mere echo of what she had felt last night. She felt her cheeks and they felt rough where the tears had etched themselves on her face. Her insides began twisting and knotting and a cold shill ran down her body. Cody's laughter traveled up the stairs and it began to calm her down, this was a new day, a happy day. Her insides unknotted and her body seemed to be returning to normal. Sam heard the horse's neighs and trots floating through her window and all uneasiness left her.

Sam began to get ready and seeing as if she had some time she decided she felt like dressing "up". She found her favorite jade colored muscle-shirt that fit her snuggly around her curves which gave her the body of a woman, rather than that of a scrawny awkward girl. She put on her favorite pair of jeans which she found draped over her desk chair and put on riding boots. Sam turned on the curling iron and proceeded to doing her makeup. Though she wasn't a big makeup user through time she had learned a few tips and tricks. Sam's usual makeup was natural looking and gave her a faint glow, she refused to wear liquid makeup, however, because it made her face feel heavy and herself feel awkward. Today however she was feeling bold and though she kept her face as natural looking as she could she ventured on to put on light green eye shadow and outlined her eyes with black eyeliner and mascara. Sam finished her makeup and moved on to curling a few strands of hair here and there. She finished getting ready in less than twenty minutes and looked herself in the mirror.

Sam had left the awkwardness of preteens and entered into the stage in her life where she was becoming a woman. She no longer saw a small little girl in the mirror, her body had changed way too much, her face had thinned, and her frame was a little taller. She felt fresh and cute, maybe even pretty. Sam hoped she now resembled her late-mother.

_God knows how much I wish you where here to watch me grow up mom._ Sam sighed.

_Then you could tell me how much I suck at putting on makeup._ Sam continued the thought and giggled sadly.

"Samantha, breakfast is ready." Grams voice carried all the way into her room, followed by the smell of bacon, eggs, and pancakes. Sam's stomach growled.

"Coming" she yelled back. Samantha Anne Forster gave herself a quick once over and left her room with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Wow, don't you look nice" Gram told her as she walked into the kitchen.

"Ouch, Gram don't sound so surprised" Sam said with mock hurt.

"I bet you are probably more surprised than me honey" she said giggling, "Sit down and finish eating because I'm going to need your help cleaning the house before you go off and check on the horses." She added.

"Double chores?!" Sam groaned because she obviously still had ranch chores to do.

"Now Samantha stop complaining," her fathers voice came from behind her "but, no you do not have double chores, so once your done cleaning your free to do whatever you please." He finished and sat down for breakfast.

Sam sighed in relief, she was in the mood to go riding, maybe she would even be able to catch a glimpse of the Phantom. They finished breakfast and everyone headed off to their 'jobs'. Brynna headed off to the BLM offices where she worked as director of Willow Springs Wild Horse Center, Dad headed off to work outside, and Cody followed. Gram asked Samantha to clean up after breakfast and then head on upstairs to clean while she took the downstairs.

Once upstairs she turned on the bathroom radio and began vacuuming and dusting the hallways and rooms. After a while a familiar tune started coming out of the radio.

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you been here all along so why cant you see you belong with me, you belong with me." Sam sang along.

_Ironic._ She thought but kept cleaning and singing feeling like Cinderella in the process.

"And you've got a smile that can light up this whole town, I haven't seen it in a while…" Sam continued singing the Taylor Swift song avoiding the obvious thoughts that where coming to her. Finally the song ended and so did Samantha.

"Gram is there anything else you'd like for me to do downstairs" she let her voice carry down to her.

"No, darling, thank you" Sam's gram answered. Sam smiled. _Yay, I can go riding now. Ill call Jen._ Samantha thought to herself.

She headed downstairs and saw her grandmother cleaning the living room. She was about to offer help when the phone rang.

"Can you get that Sam" her gram ordered.

"Sure I was headed out anyways" Sam answered while walking to the kitchen to get the phone.

"Hell, Forster residence Samantha speaking." She answered the way she had been taught to answer the phone so long ago.

"Hello, Samantha its Maxine." Maxine Ely's voice came from the other end of the phone. Sam's heart skipped a beat.

"Good morning Mrs. Ely, how can I help you" she answered trying to sound normal.

"Sorry to bother but I was wondering if your Gram or Brynna was available, see I have a favor to ask." Mrs. Ely told her.

"Brynna's at work but let me go get Gram, excuse me" Sam answered with a shaky voice.

Sam set the phone down and went back into the living room.

"Gram, Mrs. Ely's on the phone and asked for you." She told her Grandmother with a voice so void of emotion that it made her grandmother give her a funny look. Samantha followed her Grandmother into the kitchen, but instead of waiting for the phone to be free so she could call Jen she headed outside grabbing her brown Stetson. She needed to calm down, fast and there was no better way to clear her mind than to spend the rest of the morning and hopefully afternoon with horses.

Instead of heading towards where Ace was she went to the barn. Samantha began feeling curious over who had taken over her chores since most of the ranch hands where out with her Dad. Yet the barn was empty of humans so she turned back to get to Ace.

"Well whoever it was I'm going to have to thank them" she said with a smile and headed back out of the barn towards Ace.

Finally she was mounted on Ace and out riding. Sam was so happy and relaxed she didn't even notice where it was that she was headed, she just let Ace run. When she saw the river ahead of her she was a little taken aback. She felt Ace stiffen at her reaction and worked on calming down her body to be able to calm Ace down. She dismounted and let Ace take a drink.

_Figures._ She thought bitterly. This was the same place where so long ago her heart was shattered into millions of tiny pieces. What was wrong with the world? He had come back before and never had she reacted like this. Never, had the entire universe conspired against her and constantly kept reminding her that he exists. Why now?

Samantha just wanted to get out of there, maybe she'd head off to Gold Dust Ranch and surprise Jen, or even go to Deerpath Ranch and see if Mrs. Trudy needed any help. _Anywhere but here_. Sam thought as she headed towards Ace. Sam was about to mount Ace when she heard a horse coming from behind her and before she could turn around and see who it was a voice made her freeze in place.

"Hey, brat." The voice said hitting her like a lightning bolt electrocuting her in place, shocking her out of her senses.

"Jake!" she said shocked.

Samantha turned around and was standing face to face with the man who had plagued her dreams the night before.


	4. Full Circle

Samantha felt like she just got slapped across her face, a face that was already raw and bleeding. She wasn't ready for this, not yet.

"Hi" Jake said again his face showing signs of worry, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He added quickly.

"Oh, hi, uhm no, uhm its okay" Sam tripped over her words; she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks.

Jake chuckled and Sam turned even redder. Instead of humiliating herself further she began mounting Ace. Before running off to Jen's or something, she turned in the general direction of Jake.

"Well, see you later or something, bye" She said abruptly and then began turning Ace to leave. She let Ace go on a steady lope and was just concentrating on getting somewhere, anywhere when she heard Jake following her.

"Brat, wait up" he called after her. Sam pretended not to here and made Ace go faster. But no matter how fast Ace went Sam could still hear Witch right behind her.

 _Maybe if he sees me head towards Jen's he'll stop following me._ Sam thought.

She reached the Kenworthy ranch which thankfully had become a part theirs since Linc Slocum had gotten arrested and Ryan Slocum, Linc's son, decided to let them buy part and help him run the ranch. However she could still, sadly, hear Jake behind her.

"Sam?" Jake said her name like a question. Sam dismounted quickly and Jake did the same. Samantha was beginning to walk towards the front door, but she knew Jake's long strides would make it to her faster than she could to the door. Sam was praying for a miracle when Jen came out to greet her.

"Hello, Samantha" she smiled tentatively at Sam, "Ely, your back." She added as polite as she could handle.

"Kenworthy. Glad to be back." Jake replied as civilized as he could manage.

"So, what brings you both down these parts" Jen said in a joking manner. They both turned to Samantha. Samantha felt the blood rushing to her cheeks for the second time in less than an hour. Jake smiled and Jen's eyes started twinkling. She turned to give her back to Jake.

"I was gonna call too see if you wanted to go for a ride but Gram was on the phone so I decided to come in person." Sam told her best friend. Surprisingly, Jen was staring past Samantha, confusion all over her face. Samantha was about to turn when Jen spoke again.

"Uhm, no I haven't finished my chores and then my mom wanted me to help her with, uhm, something." Jen said casually, but confusion was leaking through her voice.

Samantha felt there was something weird going on but she no longer felt like riding anymore she just wanted to get home and read. Reading would take her into a new world where she didn't have to think about that one guy.

"Yea, okay then maybe another time." Sam said surprisingly calm.

"Okay then ill call you later," Jen said to Sam, "Bye Jake" she added then turned to walk back into her home trying to not look rushed.

"So, you going back to River Bend?" Jake asked Sam before mounting Witch.

"Yea, I guess so." Sam said while mounting Ace for the third time that morning.

"Good, cuz I was heading there." Jake said and flashed that lazy tomcat smile of his.

Sam's insides exploded into tiny little pieces when he said that, but the only reaction she showed to Jakes words was a stiff shrug. She stayed quiet afraid of falling apart on top of Ace. She let Jake follow her but tried to pretend he wasn't there. They reached River Bend and still Samantha hadn't acknowledged Jake. Jake kept eyeing Samantha curiously, tentatively. They dismounted their horses and brushed them down then led them to the corrals and still Samantha hadn't even glanced at Jake. Jake was never a man of many words so he didn't try to start a conversation.

Samantha headed straight to the ranch home without looking back. Inside she found her Gram beginning lunch. Samantha sat down on the kitchen table and watched her Gram.

"Back so soon?" she asked Samantha without looking at her.

"Yup, Jen couldn't ride with me." Sam answered. Her gram gave her a sidelong glance. Sam was always riding, she was even happier riding alone. Everyone knew that. Thankfully Gram's stare was the only thing that let Sam know Gram wasn't buying it. Sam kept watching Gram making lunch, when she noticed that she was making to much food.

"Gram? Why are you making so much food?" Sam asked puzzled.

"It's for Jake's dinner later tonight" Gram said chuckling, "That's why Maxine called earlier this morning." She finished.

"Oh." Sam answered. Why was the world forcing her to face her biggest fear when all she wanted to do was go and hide under her bad and forgot everything and everyone, or at least a certain one.

"Would you be nice enough to help me by making the lunch while I finish the dinner sweetie?" Gram asked politely though Sam knew it wasn't really a question so she got up and started making lunch. Samantha was so into making lunch she didn't hear the kitchen door open.

"Jake, welcome back." Gram said with a warm smile. "Lunch is almost ready; would you like to join us?"

"Glad to be back" Jake smiled back, "and thanks but I should be heading home about now to help." Jake finished.

"Okay then well tell your mom that I'm almost done with the food and I will probably need someone to come pick it up, so I'll just call in a little bit, okay." Gram said never once taking her attention of the food she was preparing.

"Okay, well then see you later," Jake said then hesitated a second and added, "Bye, Samantha."

"Bye." Sam said, but like her Gram, she never looked away from the food she was preparing. She heard the kitchen door open and close. Sam heard Gram chuckle but instead of asking what was so funny and earning a light scolding she began setting the table for lunch. Today seemed to be a long day.

* * *

Since the world was conspiring against Sam it was only obvious that not only would time pass, it would pass by with the speed of light. Before she knew it Gram was knocking on her bedroom door telling her to hurry up because it was time to head on over to the Ely ranch.

Samantha groaned audibly but didn't protest. As much as she hated to admit to herself, she wanted to see him. Her heart ached every second it wasn't near him. Thankfully Samantha listened to her brain more than her heart so she had managed to keep from seeing him for long periods of time so that she had been able to grow used to that pain in her heart. For the past three years, every waking moment had felt as if hundreds of needles had been pierced through her heart.

But now the pain was different. It was more intense. The hundreds of needles had turned into millions of knives stabbing her over and over and over. She had to see Jake.

"Samantha Anne Forster." her Dad's stern voice shook Sam out of her thoughts.

"Coming." She answered while she got up from her bed and looked into the mirror. Surprisingly, her effort from this morning was still visible. Samantha looked exactly how she had looked this morning as she left her room. She smiled at her reflection and then she looked up in the general direction of the sky.

"Please mom, be with me tonight. Help me be strong and help me do what's right. I really would like to fix whatever happened with Jake." She prayed to her mom and headed to the car.

* * *

The Ely's ranch was decorated with pretty lights and enough tables and chairs for all of their friends and family. The entire Ely family was there. All of the six Ely brothers were sitting together, talking and laughing. Samantha could see Mrs. Ely bursting with happiness at the sight. The Kenworthy's and Ryan where already there. Behind Sam and her family were a couple more cars. It seemed that the party was getting started.

 _Can you say full circle?_ Samantha thought. It seemed that the events that happened three years ago were happening in reverse order and in a matter of days. _First, the river and now a party for Jake! What's next? Me crying in the barn and him coming to comfort me?_ Sam thought sarcastically, but her heart fluttered at the thought.

"Sam, over here." Sam heard her best friends' voice from across where she was standing. She looked over her shoulder at her dad and with a smile he waved her on. So Sam walked over to the table where Jen and Ryan where sitting at.

"Sam, I forgot to tell you that you look cute, today." Jennifer said with a mischievous twinkle in her voice.

"Well that makes one of us." Sam teased her best friend, but before Jen could give a comeback that would have probably burned Sam's, Darrell made his way over to the table and noticeably sat between Jen and Ryan. Ryan shifted uncomfortably and Jen flashed him a dirty look before turning to Sam with a confused one. Samantha just smiled.

"Hey, darlings" Darrell said hi to both girls but looked only at one, a blonde one. Sam's smile widened.

"Hi" Sam answered for both of them since Jen was obviously too confused to talk.

"I think I'm a go get something to drink. Anyone want anything?" Ryan said while standing up. Samantha could tell he felt uncomfortable and unwanted. She felt bad for Darrell's rudeness and was about to offer to go with him when she heard a voice from behind her. It seemed to be talking over its shoulder, but the voice was definitely getting louder, it was approaching them.

"No, thank you." Sam said a little shaken.

"Yea it's okay." Jen said with a warm smile, trying to say sorry with her eyes. Darrell ignored him.

"Okay then be right back." Ryan said and gave Jen an answering smile before heading off to 'get something to drink'.

"Hey guys." His voice came from directly behind Samantha making her heart drop and her breathing shake. Jennifer slid her hand into her best friends' quietly and began squeezing it reassuringly.

"Hey man, long time no see, glad your back, for good." Darrell said and shook Jake's hand.

"Yea, good to see you too and I am glad I'm back, for good" Jake answered back as they turned to the girls. Seeing Sam and Jen 'holding hands' clearly shocked them, even if just a little.

"Did I miss something?" Darrell said moving his eyebrows up and down, teasing.

"No, you missed nothing" Jen said coldly. They began going back and forth but Samantha couldn't hear a word they were saying. Everything had turned into a blur, a big silent blur. If her hand was still in Jen's she didn't know, she couldn't feel it.

Samantha was numb from head to toe, paralyzed in place like that time so long ago. She couldn't make her lips move. Her eyes had locked into his dark mustang eyes. Sam was finding it hard to remember how to breathe, let alone talk. Jake seemed to have forgotten everything and everyone. His eyes had locked into her emerald eyes.

The world around them melted and ceased to exist in that beautiful moment.


	5. Time Together

"Well it really looks like we missed something." Darrell said jokingly breaking Sam and Jake from their moment. Sam let go of Jen's hand quickly, her mind was spinning. Jen gave her a concerned look but turned back to the boys before they started asking more questions.

"What you're missing is a brain." Jen answered with a very contrasting sweet voice and cute smile. Jake chuckled and the sound brought Samantha back to reality.

"You know when a girl teases you it means she likes you" Jake said to Darrell jokingly but Sam saw Darrell's face light up. On the contrary Jen's face twisted in anger.

"And Jen does tease me a lot" Darrell answered with a huge smile. "Right baby." He added with a wink. Jen's face turned a bright shade of red and gave Darrell a look of death.

"Well I'm a go get something to eat." Jen said specifically to Samantha, "Before I commit double murder." She added looking in the direction of Jake and Darrell. Darrell stared after Jen while Jake took Jen's spot. He angled his body so that it was clear that he didn't want to include Darrell in the conversation.

"So, how school been Brat?" Jake asked Sam. Sam's head was spinning again and it took her a few seconds to be able to get things straight.

"Uhm, fine." She managed to mumble. Jake gave her a worried look then turned to Darrell.

"Hey man would you mind getting my phone I left it inside my room." Jake made sure that only Darrell could see his face. Darrell smiled mischievously but said okay and turned to leave to the house.

Samantha was close to hyperventilating. She was having trouble sucking in air. She felt nauseated and a cold sweat had erupted through her body.

 _Alone with Jake!_ She thought to herself.

"Uhm Samantha are you okay?" Jake asked, his voice filled with worry. Calling her Samantha instead of Brat was making Sam loose it even more.

 _Calm Down!_ She told herself.

"Yea, I'm fine." She told Jake in a shaky voice. To calm down she turned her attention away from Jake and focused on the party. She saw her gram and Mrs. Allen sitting together, talking and laughing. She saw her dad talking with Luke Ely, Jake's dad, Jed Kenworthy, Jen's dad, and Dallas and Ross. She saw Jen eating her food next to her mom who was talking with Brynna. She saw the rest of the Ely brothers teasing and laughing. Seeing all her friends and family laughing and enjoying the party made her feel more calm and normal. Her breathing had returned to normal and she no longer felt like barfing.

"Are you sure?" Jake's asked clearly still worried.

"Yes, I'm sure." Sam asked with a normal voice still not looking at him.

"Samantha?" He said her name tentatively with another emotion she couldn't pin down. Like long ago in the barn she had to look up. His dark mustang eyes showed hurt. Samantha was confused.

"Yea?" she answered Jake trying to not break down. Jake was obviously having an internal battle because he had torn his gaze away from Samantha and was now looking at the ground. Samantha was counting in her head to keep her mind busy so as she wouldn't fall apart again.

"Sam," Jake started but was still looking at the ground, "Did I do something wrong?" he finished giving Sam a look that made her feel like a horrible person. Sam didn't know what to say. She was trying hard to be able to talk like a normal person to him without falling apart but she just couldn't.

"No." She answered but felt bad immediately for giving only a one word answer. "What makes you say that?" She tried to add a smile but it ended up looking like a grimace.

"Well," Jake started his voice a little shaky, "Well, nothing I guess I'm uhm I guess I'm just imagining or something." He stuttered.

"Mmm well I guess I'll see you later Brat." Jake said as he walked away. Sam couldn't help smiling at the way he had forced himself to say Brat. Then she too got up and went to rejoin the party.

* * *

Weeks passed and Sam was getting much better at keeping her cool around Jake. She saw him almost every day considering he was helping Wyatt as a ranch hand and that had significantly helped her. She could even have an almost decent conversation with him but still it always seemed very forced and awkward. Her family had even started to notice how the inseparable best friends had turned to mereacquaintances.

Sam first noticed her family's observance while helping her Gram prepare dinner.

"So has Jake told you anything about how college was?" Gram asked not so subtly.

"No, we hardly talk." Sam answered void of emotion.

"You spend almost the whole day together around the ranch and you hardly talk?" Gram asked skeptically.

"Yea, I mean we're always really focused in our work I guess." Sam answered with a harsher tone than necessary.

"You know you and Jake have been together longer than you've been apart, shame to loose a friend that way." Gram said using her wise old lady voice. Sam couldn't think of anything to say so she stayed quiet.

Brynna proved to be as observant as Sam's gram. While Sam was helping Brynna at Willow Springs she noticed Brynna's true intentions.

"Why don't you go have fun? You know go for a ride or something?" She unexpectedly asked Sam. Sam got taken aback because she was grounded from riding over the next three days for forgetting to do her chores and going riding instead. Though it had been worth it because she got to see the Phantom and saw that he was okay and that his herd was doing fine.

"Uhm Brynna I'm grounded." Sam told her step mother with a look that said are you crazy. Brynna laughed at how Sam was looking at her.

"I know that silly but its summer and you're out already. Though I think it will be easier to think of a story to tell your father if you go with someone else." She said confirming Samantha's suspicions that she had gone crazy. "You can even use the phone to call Jen." Brynna added with a twinkle in her eye.

"Uhm, the Kenworthy's left on vacation last night and aren't back for the next two days. But you know that." Sam said cautiously and suspiciously.

"Oh yea I guess I forgot," Brynna answered and then began thinking hard, "Oh I know, why don't you call Jake to go riding with you." She added with a triumphant smile. Samantha had grown very suspicious and was wondering if Brynna had been building up to this the whole time.

"Thanks for the free pass but I'd rather not risk it." Sam said with a smile. Sam laughed in her head when she saw the clear disappointment in Brynna's face.

Sam was even starting to think that he dad and the rest of the ranch hands were trying to force Jake's company on her. Everyone kept assigning her jobs to do with Jake. Every single job she had to do on the ranch was in partnership with him. Even jobs that she could clearly handle on her own and jobs that Jake obviously did not need help in had to be done by both of them. Samantha was getting pretty sick and tired of her family's meddling but on the bright side she was getting much better at being around Jake and she kind of wanted to see him and be near him.

Every time she saw him her heart skipped a beat. Her body felt like jelly. She found it hard to breathe. And for some weird reason she enjoyed every single second of the torture.


	6. Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds

The months passed by quicker than they had ever passed by in Samantha's life. Senior year came and with it a whole lot of stuff to do. She had managed to stay so busy that she hardly had time to see her family let alone Jake. Normally she would have been ecstatic at the fact that she was avoiding Jake but this time it was different. She missed him. A lot.

"I hardly even see him." She complained to her horse Ace as she was brushing him. Ace snorted as if to say 'so'.

"Well, I don't know." Sam answered confused. She wished she could understand what was going on with her heart.

She finished her chores and went back inside to wait for dinner. There was no one inside yet so Sam felt safe enough to call Jen without having to go upstairs to her room so she sat on a sofa and took out her cell phone, her best friend would talk some sense to her.

"Hey Sam. What's up?" her best friend answered cheerfully.

"Hey, uhm you're not busy right?" Sam asked a little tense.

"No. Why? What's wrong?" Jen asked cautiously, noticing hr friends odd tone.

"Nothing serious. Just, well," Sam hesitated. She really hated admitting her true feelings about Jake, especially after she had denied them for three full years.

"Samantha spit it out!" Jen scolded her.

"Okay, okay," Sam said then took a deep breath, "It's just I kinda miss Jake." She finished a little relieved to have it out in the open.

"Kinda?" Jen asked patiently.

"Well, its cause since school started I've seen him very little and talked to him even less, I mean he works for my dad and all but since I'm hardly here and when I am I'm either doing chores or it's too late and he went home already and the whole thanksgiving break he went with his brothers to that trip they were planning and then I mean thanksgiving day I saw him but I mean that was it because then I was too busy doing schoolwork and stuff and now it's going to be winter break and like four months have passed and ugh! I don't even know!" Sam said exasperated. She had finally let all her frustration out and she felt a little relieved. Of course hearing it said aloud made her heart ache but it also made her lungs breathe a little better because she didn't feel so alone anymore, Jen would help her.

"Okay. Calm down." Jen instructed her. Sam took some deep cleansing breaths and felt her body relax. "Okay now maybe you didn't get to see him much or talk to him much so far but like you said Christmas break is coming up and well that's a whole two weeks and well he's not going anywhere right?" Jen continued.

"Ahuh." Sam responded without words because she was still recovering from the last time she spoke.

"Okay well and like you said he works for your dad so during the summer your chores and his chores will probably be the same the majority of the time, right?" Jen said the words with determination.

"Yea." Sam answered with a word this time because she could see where Jen was going and she could feel a little bit of hope forming in her heart.

"Okay well see you guys can talk there, oh poop." Jen said annoyed, though the actual word she used was a bit more colorful.

"What?" Sam asked, the little bit of the hope in her heart disappearing.

"We have rehearsals and all of that good stuff for the school's Christmas play, remember?" Jen said a little defeated.

Sam repeated Jen's colorful word.

"Okay, okay don't worry." Jen stopped as if thinking of a plan, "Okay, look rehearsals won't take all night and," Jen stopped and Sam could almost feel the excitement in her voice leaking through the phone. "And during one of the many chores you have with Jake, because trust me you'll still have time to do some chores before rehearsal you can ask Jake for rides you know too and from rehearsal and that would give you plenty of alone, non working, time with Jake." Jen finished and Sam knew that Jen had that huge smile she got when she got an A+ on her calculus test.

Sam wanted to jump and down and yell "Yupee!" but at the same time she wasn't going to allow herself to soar up too high because then the fall would be longer and hell of a lot more painful. Sam had not just grown up but matured. She was one of the few lucky girls who learned how to be a women and a cowboy. Women by nature are strong they can put up a happy front and keep a smile on their face when they would rather just break down and die. Cowboys are known for their hard to read faces and keeping their emotions so hidden that hardly anyone could know what they are thinking. Sam was both and so tapping into both she had managed for the past four months to fool everyone from her family to her friends to even herself that she was perfectly happy.

So instead of jumping up and down she went upstairs to shower before dinner. She let the warm water massage her body until her muscles unknotted. She let the warm water drip down her hair to wash away the smell of hay. She let the warm water cleanse her face to wash away all the unshed tears. She let the warm water take her back to warm summer days of her childhood where she and Jake were nothing more than two friends playing and jumping and hiding and running.

Voices from downstairs brought her back to reality. She quickly shut off the water and wrapped herself in a towel. Sam opened the bathroom door to run the short distance from the bathroom to her room. But as soon as she stepped out into the cold hallway, which she believed to be empty, she met a certain pair of mustang eyes.


	7. Unexpected Call

"Ah!" Sam jumped almost dropping her towel. She regained her grip on the towel and finished running to her room and shut the door with a loud bang.

Jake was in a mild state of shock. He had just seen Sam, his best friend, in a towel, with her body and hair still dripping water. Jake wasn't in shock because of what he'd seen, or well not exactly. What confused him and shocked him the most was that when Sam's towel almost fell and then she regained her grip on it Jake's impulse thought was _Damn!_ Of course right after that he had turned his gaze away and gave her privacy to finish running to her room but at the same time taking his gaze off was excruciatingly difficult to accomplish.

Instead of contemplating what had just happened he went downstairs as fast as he could and sat down at the dinner table.

"Did you tell Samantha to hurry because dinner's ready?" Brynna said over her shoulder as she was putting Cody up in his high chair.

"Uh. Yea. She'll be down soon." Jake said a little distracted. Just like all the people who were filing in to the Forster kitchen where distracted and didn't notice what was going on in a certain room upstairs.

* * *

Sam was focusing all her attention on breathing in and out. Her body seemed to have forgotten how. She sat down leaning on the door still wrapped on her towel. She was leaving a puddle around her floor but Sam didn't care at the moment.

 _Why was he here so late? Why was he up here?_ Sam though to herself feeling dizzy with confusion and lack of oxygen.

Once she felt her breathing return somewhat to normal she got up and looked at herself in the mirror. She stared at her reflection deep in thought.

 _Well at least I don't look THAT ugly. I mean I don't look like a drowned cat or anything; Right? I hope!_ Sam thought to herself feeling self conscious over what Jake had or had not seen. _It's not like if I care._ She thought unconvincingly.

She turned to see her alarm clock and saw the time; she had no time to dwell in her thoughts Sam had to get ready fast and go downstairs before they began worrying and coming up here to check on her.

* * *

Dinner was awkward. Sam and Jake wouldn't even look at each other making the rest of the Sam's family suspicious. Brynna kept eyeing Sam with a cautiously worried look and Jake a confused one. Gram kept smiling and laughing to herself at random moments and Wyatt was looking at everyone suspiciously.

Thankfully dinner ended and Jake excused himself almost immediately. Sam was grateful and left to do her homework before she could get triple interrogation.

She went upstairs to her room and got out her homework agenda.

"Mmm. What should I start with? Math?" Sam said to herself, "Nah, I already got a headache. English? Mmm. _Pride and Prejudice,_ Jane Austen?" she continued her train of thought, "Yea, why not? Reading always helps me forget everything and everyone." Sam got the book out of her bag and went to her bed to lie down and read.

She had never heard of this book but eventually she got really into it, though it being a love story made her think more and more of Jake. Sam had just gotten to the part where Mr. Darcy begins noticing things about Elizabeth Bennet, which he had refused to see before, when her phone began vibrating next to her. So into the book Sam extended her arm to get her phone, never breaking concentration on the story in front of her, she pressed talk and put the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered as a question.

"Sam! Hi." An unexpected voice came out of her phone. Such was her surprise that she let both the book and her cell phone escape her hands both landing hard on her floor. Sam cussed and ran to get her phone.

"Jake!?" she said a little too high pitched, "Hi." She continued, her heart thumping so loud she was afraid he could hear it through the phone.

"Uhm, Are you busy?" Jake said sounding a little nervous.

"No, not anymore. Why? What's up?" Sam said still shaky and nervous.

"Uh, well nothing really, I, uhm, I just wanted to say, uhh, sorry." Jake hesitated finding words.

"Sorry?" Sam, still a little shocked, was confused. _Sorry? For what?_

"Yea, for uhm what happened, before dinner." Jake said clearly uncomfortable. The events of earlier that day came rushing back to her, she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

"Oh. Yea." Sam responded brilliantly. An awkward silence extended for a couple of minutes, both lost in thoughts.

"Why haven't…" Sam started at the same time that Jake said, "Well then I…" cutting each other off. They both shut up abruptly and waited for the other to start turning it into another awkward silence.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" Jake began after a minute of silence.

"Oh. Uhm. Nothing. Go ahead." Sam answered feeling awkward.

"No, it's okay. You go first." Jake told her feeling just as awkward.

"No, you go first." Sam said the awkwardness leaving being replaced by a sense of friendly competition.

"Brat, say what you were gonna say." Jake was experiencing a similar shift of emotions.

"No, it wasn't that important, you should go first." Sam countered with a little edge to her voice.

"Ladies first." Jake replied with a mixture of annoyance and enjoyment.

"Well, this lady says you should go first." Sam replied with a smile, she had laid back down on her bed already getting comfortable.

"If I say what I had to say first then from here on out I will remind you of this moment and how as a lady you said I should go first before you so then forever and ever I will go first before you." Jake said clearly amused and a little surprised at how easily he was talking, he had even gone to the barn for more privacy.

Sam stayed quiet for a moment. She was both thinking of what Jake had just said and of the amount of words he had just said.

"Fine then, I take it back and restore my privilege of going first for being a lady." Sam said a smile spreading on her face for no apparent reason.

"Mmm. Nah. Too late. Well what I was gonna say…" Jake began teasing her lightly a smile spreading across his face. He was enjoying himself.

"No! Stop!" Sam said laughing a little, "I'm the lady so I shall go first." She finished speaking like the characters in _Pride and Prejudice_.

"Shall?" Jake said laughing at her choice of words.

"Yes, shall." Sam said faking annoyance. They stayed quiet a little.

"Well then, lady, what where you going to say?" Jake said in a teasing tone. Sam's heart skipped a beat at hearing him call her lady, instead of Sam or his typical Brat.

"Okay. I was just wondering…" Sam started and stopped. Blood rushed to her cheeks, she was embarrassed at the question she wanted to ask.

"What where you wondering?" Jake asked with true interest.

"Well," Sam hesitated a little, "Why haven't you made fun of me?" she finished.

"Huh?" Jake was caught off guard by the question.

"Yea, why haven't you made fun of me for uhm, the incident this afternoon?" Sam asked the question differently.

"Oh." Was all Jake could say, he didn't want to answer the question truthfully, that would probably make things awkward again. But he couldn't think of a good convincing lie to tell Sam, plus just thinking of lying to Sam made him uncomfortable. "Truthfully?" Jake asked.

"Please." Sam said getting nervous again. For some unknown reason to herself she got self conscious every time she thought about this subject. Jake sensed the shift in Sam's voice.

"Well, but don't go getting awkward on me Brat, okay." Jake told Sam.

"I won't, promise." Sam said her fluttering like a hummingbird.

"Okay, well, honestly, there wasn't much to make fun of, aside from your deer in the headlights face." Jake said trying to tease her at the end so as to divert her attention and not show how nervous and shy he felt.

Sam was in shock, she was not expecting that answer. She didn't know what to say. They were quiet for a while.

"Sam, you promised." Jake reminded Sam, getting a little scared that things between him and Sam were going to go from bad to worse. They had hardly talked or seen each other since he had been back and he didn't want to make things worse.

"I know." Sam answered with attitude, she couldn't help it, and sometimes teenage hormones kick in at random moments. That's when she remembered the 'deer in the headlight' comment and instead of getting mad she decided to get even.

"What did you mean by not having much to make fun of?" Sam asked with pretend innocence. She was young but naïve and she was going to enjoy making Jake squirm uncomfortably.

Jake was stopped short by the question. He cussed mentally. He decided to stay quiet for the moment. Sam had an evil mastermind smile plastered on her face.

"Was it that I was so ugly it wasn't even funny?" Three years of acting classes made her fake sad innocence seem so real Jake didn't suspect a thing.

"No! No." Jake quickly denied the question.

"Then?" Sam pretended to be confused.

 _Might as well tell her what I think._ Jake thought to himself and then took a deep breath.

"Brat, you are far from being ugly." Jake told her smiling, he couldn't help it. Sam's heart skipped a beat, she felt nice warmth envelop her body, and she was smiling from ear to ear. They stayed quiet again but unlike last time it was a nice silence.

"Sam, hold on." Jake said suddenly. She could hear another voice, it was a female voice, but she couldn't distinguish it. For some reason her heart fell, the warmth in her body had been replaced by coldness, and her smile turned upside down. Thoughts about that girl so long ago came rushing back at her.

"Okay, Mom, don't worry, I'll go in right now." Jake said to the voice. "Night." He told the voice again. "Sam?" he redirected his attention to Sam.

 _It was his mom! Just his mom. Calm down._ Sam thought to herself but for some reason she wasn't able to completely let go of the bad feeling.

"Right here." Sam answered Jake.

"Hey. Sorry about that." Jake apologized sincerely.

"Don't worry about it." Sam said trying her best to be cheerful again but just couldn't completely do it and she wasn't in the mood of acting anymore.

"Hey? Is there something wrong?" Jake asked concerned.

"No. Uhm, I'm just tired." Sam told Jake, and it wasn't even a lie. She was tired; she just hadn't put that much thought to it her mind happier elsewhere.

"Well, figures, its past your bedtime." Jake tried teasing her into a good mood. It worked a little, she couldn't help smile at the comment.

"I don't have a bedtime remember." Sam said faking annoyance. Jake chuckled. His laugh helped Sam shake off enough of the bad feeling that it left her feeling okay.

"Sure, you don't Brat. How old are you 12?" Jake teased her further noticing it was helping Sam get over whatever she had gotten all of a sudden.

"If I'm 12, then you are a pedophile." Sam teased back, even managing to smile a little. Jake laughed.

"Why am I pedophile?" Jake asked faking innocence, though not as convincing as Sam's.

"Because you're a twenty year old who saw a twelve year old in nothing but a towel and then commented on how not ugly she is." Sam said in a matter-of-fact tone. Jake laughed again.

"Yeah, okay Brat." Jake said still laughing. "Hey well its getting kind of late and we both have to wake up early tomorrow so we should go to sleep now, don't you think?" Jake said, traces of laughter lingering in his voice.

Sam checked the clock.

"Wow. It's almost two." Sam said shocked, they had been talking for almost three hours. On the phone. At night!

"Exactly." Jake said.

"Yeah, okay then, goodnight Jake." Sam said a little sad, she really didn't want to hang up.

"Goodnight Brat." Jake began, he took a deep breath, and continued "I'm glad I called Sam, I almost convinced myself not to."

"I'm glad you called too." Sam said smiling butterflies in her stomach.

"Well goodnight Sam, Sweet dreams." Jake finished and hung up.

Sam's ear and cheek burned from the heat of her phone, the butterflies in her stomach were flying relentlessly, yet for the first time in a while she fell asleep smiling.


	8. Crash

The next morning Sam woke up to someone violently shaking her body.

"Samantha Anne Forster! Wake up! We are going to be late!" A familiar voice screamed at her.

Sam blinked her eyes open and let them take their time to focus.

"Mmm." She mumbled groggily.

"Ugh. I swear I will bring a bucket of ice cold water and throw it on you if you don't get up in the next ten seconds." Jen said to Samantha frustrated.

Sam stretched her body and stared at her best friend slightly confused, "Late for what? Its only mon..." she let the word melt into her favorite swear word. Sadly she said it just while her Grandmother was walking into her room with a stack of clean clothes.

"Samantha Anne Forester!" Her gram reproached her severely. "Is that any way for a young lady to talk?"

Jen concealed chuckled.

"No Gram, I'm sorry." She said resigned while giving her best friend a dirty look.

Gram put the pile of clean clothes on the bed and left shaking her head. Jen burst out laughing but was cut off by a decent sized pillow knocking her head.

"Shut it." Sam told Jen when her Gram was safely out the room.

"You know instead of throwing pillows at me you should get ready because we are already late for rehearsal." Jen said while throwing the pillow back at Sam. Samantha put the pillow on the bed and started rummaging her closet to find decent looking clothes. Jen on the other hand went to Sam's bed and laid on it.

"So…Why didn't you answer?" Jen asked a lightly.

"Oh. That's for me to know and you to find out. Nosy." Sam said with mock annoyance.

"Oh, Really now, let's just check your phone…" Jen responds and moves her hand closer to Sam's phone.

"No!" Sam says as she throws herself onto the bed and begins a "friendly" wrestling match over the cell phone.

"Why." Grunt. "Not?" Grunt. Jen says all while still fighting for the phone.

"Be." Grunt. "Cause!" Grunt. Sam retorts Jen also still fighting for the phone.

"Young ladies, you better not make me come up there you here me!" Gram yelled so loud they thought she was in the room with them, but she wasn't.

"Ha!" Jen shouted with glee because she had managed to snatch the phone out of Sam's distracted grasp.

"I mean it! If you girls aren't down here in ten seconds…" Gram continued yelling up the stairs.

Sam rolled her eyes at Jen while Jen gave a satisfied smile.

"Coming Gram, Let me just put some clothes on." Sam yelled back down.

Jen plugged Sam's phone in its charger and then turned it on. "So, why was it dead?" She asked suspiciously.

"Why are you asking your going to find out anyway?" Samantha said resigned and a little annoyed.

"Just. Courtesy." Jen replied not at all phased by Sam's sudden moodiness. Sam continued getting ready for rehersal. Jen said out loud everything she was doing in Sam's phone just to annoy her best friend even more.

"Let's go to texts. Mmmm. Nop. Nothing Juicy." She was speaking 'too herself'.

"Cuz I hardly text." Sam pointed out while putting the final touches on her makeup.

"Mmm. Then…Recent Calls. Hmmhh. Oh. My. God." Jen said completely shocked.

"Ohmygod! What. Did. You. Find. Like Totally. Duh!" Sam teased her best friend using her favoritely annoying super girly voice.

"Shut up." Jen dogged Sam. "Why didn't you tell me?" Jen asked in a mixture of hurt, mad, annoyed, and excited.

"Tell you what?" Sam acted innocent.

"Jake that's what." Jen said curiosity overruling every other emotion.

Sam couldn't help but smile and giggle at his name.

"Tell me Samantha!" Jen's curiosity clearly surpassed all her other emotions.

"I'll tell you later we have to go." Sam said while they both looked at the clock.

"Fine." Jen said a little annoyed.

The two best friends made their way downstairs, ate a quick breakfast while Gram chastised them for being loud and late, ran to Jen's car and raced over to rehearsals.

* * *

Rehearsals were going great so far. Sam was eating her lunch by herself because she was trying to practice her lines. She had the lead role in the play and in the scene she was to rehearse after their lunch break her and her lover had sneaked out to meet at a secluded spot near the lake where they confess their eternal love for each other. Throughout the whole scene Sam couldn't get a different yet sadly similar scene from so long ago out of her head.

_"So why'd you bring me here" an unfamiliar voice said, too high and frilly to belong to a boy, let alone a man._

_"Just, I had something that I'd been meaning to tell you." An extremely familiar voice answered. This voice belonged to Witch's owner._

_"Well tell me?" the girl voice said in somewhat annoyed tone._

Sam kept replaying the scene over and over in her head. She still couldn't put a face to that voice.

_"Can you please tell me?" she begged him her sweet voice turned seductive._

_"Well," all teasing gone from his voice and uneasiness filling the void. I could picture him rubbing the back of his neck._

_"Come on, please" she almost purred._

Why was she so stupid to fall again for Jake? Who knows how much of a player he has become? Is he even still with her?

_"Well…"he hesitated "uhm," he was nervous "I think…" he paused again._

_"Oh just spit it out!" she practically yelled at him._

_"Fine." He said with such determination._

_"Well, I think…" he paused again._

Sam thought she had been successful at protecting her heart, but truth was she hadn't. This hurt just as bad now as it did then, maybe even worse. At least then she didn't think she had a chance, but now she had, against all better judgment, let her hopes soar high. Sam was falling now, falling hard, falling fast.

_"I love you." He whispered to the stranger._

Crash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is where I'll stop for today. I'll add the next bunch of chapters by the end of this week :) Let me know what you all think so far. Please note that this story was started in 2009 and finished in 2019! (I know!) I did rewrite/edit a whole lot of the beginning chapters as years passed but like anything as I grew up my writing style/perspective shifted. Hopefully, it's not too noticeable. Thanks for reading!


	9. Too Care or Not too Care

"Sam" her best friends' voice shook her out of her bad thoughts. "Samantha, let's go." Jen said a little impatiently.

"Coming." Sam said a little shaky. She picked up her half eaten lunch and walked towards the trash can.

"Sam, are you alright?" Jen asked with a tinge of worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sam said trying to steady her voice.

"Yeah, okay. Well then if you're sure let's go so we can finish the scene and get out of here." Jen said a little exasperated.

"Why are you so tired? You've hardly done anything." Sam teased her best friend. Jen glared at her and Samantha giggled her pain away. A little.

* * *

Rehearsal went by pretty fast. Sam tried not to focus on the heartbreaking thoughts she had been having and succeeded somewhat. The car ride home was a different story.

"Tell me." Jen pleaded Sam for the fiftieth time.

"I did." Sam answered exasperated.

"So you're going to sit there and tell me that there's nothing going on between you and Jake?" Jen asked disbelief hanging in every word. Sam laughed.

"Fine." She took a deep breath before she started the story. "Well it all started when yesterday I walked out of the shower and accidently ran into Jake. He called later that night to say sorry but for some reason we ended up staying up late talking." Sam couldn't help smiling. Butterflies formed in her stomach when she thought about the phone call.

Jen didn't say anything all she did was smile. After a while Sam got annoyed at her friends sudden lack of conversation.

"Well, say something." Sam said a little annoyed.

"I don't know what to say." Jen said still thoughtful.

"Try." Sam retorted. Jen stayed quiet for a couple seconds more.

"Okay. I am happy for you and all I mean you too finally talked like how you used to and all but," Jen paused and analyzed Samantha's face. Samantha was staring out the window thoughtful. Jen felt it was safe to continue so she did.

"But, what about that girl from the river? Have you asked him about it?" Jen said maybe a little to firm.

"No. I haven't." Sam answered lacking any emotion.

"Why not?" Jen said again too firm.

"I don't know." Sam answered voice a little shaky.

"Well I say you should ask him as soon as you can because honestly Sam I don't want to see you hurt again. What if you fall for him all over again and then this mystery girl pops up again?" Jen said trying to hide the anger she felt at the thought of her friend being hurt again.

"I know. I will." Sam said trying to be a little stronger.

Thankfully, they were almost near Sam's house so they stayed quiet for the remaining time.

"Well thanks Jen. Talk to you later." Sam said her mind in another world.

"Your welcome. And think about it Sam." Jen said trying to get her word through to her best friend.

"Yeah, I will. Bye." Sam said as she closed the door and turned towards her home.

Sam heard Jen cross the bridge but she was too consumed in her thoughts to care much. She kept walking, not to the house, but to the stables. Horses would help her think, or not think. Sam was getting close to the stables when a voice stopped her dead.

"Hey brat." Jake chuckled.

"Hey." Sam tried to sound happier, but she just couldn't. Jake picked up on it.

"What's up?" He asked a little warier. Sam heard his change of tone so she tried to use all her best acting skills.

"Nothing just tired." She said in her best fatigued voice even she believed it.

"Acting right?" Jake asked clearly buying it.

"Yeah. It's not physically tiring like horse riding and ranch work but mentally it takes a lot." Sam said sitting on the ground for emphasis. Jake chuckled.

"I'm serious. Try memorizing lines plus what emotions have to be behind them, how your body has to be placed, where you have to move, and you have to be ready to improvise at any moment." Sam got into the easy flow of talking to Jake. She couldn't help it.

"I bet." Jake smiled and sat down right next to her. Sam's stomach flipped. _What the heck is wrong with me?_ She thought. _Shouldn't I be mad or even sad?_ She said to herself.

"I'd like to see you try." Sam challenged.

"No thanks." Jake said. They stayed quiet for a moment. "Since when did you like acting?" Jake asked with sincere curiosity.

"I don't know. A little after you left for college." Sam said technically not lying. She wasn't about to tell him the real reason.

"Mmm. Cool." Jake said pondering over it. "Was it like Jake's gone now I can do whatever I want?" Jake teased.

"Yeah, I finally breathed and was able to relax without someone breathing down my neck every second." Sam teased back. Jake's face fell a little.

"You know I only wanted to keep you safe." Jake said serious now.

"I know." Sam said with a powerful emotion bubbling under the surface.

"Your Gram's making really good food for dinner you know." Jake switched the subject.

"No I didn't know." Sam said still thoughtful.

"Yeah and guess whose invited to enjoy in the deliciousness." Jake said trying to keep the conversation going, which was weird for a cowboy who talked next to nothing. Sam was taken by surprise at his attempt to keep a conversation going.

"Let me guess?" Sam started but ended with a long look at Jake.

Wrong move. Sam's gaze locked onto Jake's deep mustang eyes. They stared at each other for what seemed a long time and no time. Jake broke the silence.

"Sam," he paused. "I missed you." Jake said still not looking at her.

"I missed you too Jake." The words came easily to Sam's lips. They sat in silence for a while.

"Well we should start going inside dinner should be close to ready." Sam said suddenly. She was close to tears and she didn't know why.

"Yeah let's go." Jake said getting up and turning to offer his hand. Sam took it and her heart skipped at the touch of his hand. She quickly let go but then Jake did something he had never done and Sam never thought he would. He tenderly got her hand and barely held it. He then turned to look straight into Sam's eyes.

Sam's heart was beating like a hummingbird but she stared right back. So many emotions had been going through her mind, her heart. She had been so confused all day but in this moment everything ceased to matter. It was just her and him. Nothing else. No one else. She smiled at him.

Jake took it as an okay and kissed her hand then turned it in his and interlocked his fingers in hers. She tightened the grasp and smiled the most innocent sweet smile Jake had ever seen.

They walked hand in hand without a care in the world.


	10. Spit it Out

Of course, as with all perfect moments, they never last long.

They walked into the house hand in hand and Brynna was already sitting in her place at the table and happen to see them holding hands before they let go. Brynna didn't call attention to it but she still gave them a knowing look. Gram hurried them to their seats and asked Sam to help serve the meals. Wyatt walked in a couple of seconds later and the family dinner began like always.

Jake and Sam tried to act as normal as they could, considering that many emotions and questions were flying through their minds. Wyatt and Gram where oblivious to what was going on between Jake and Sam, Brynna on the other hand was trying hard not to make it obvious that she was analyzing their every move.

"Sam can you come help me with Cody." Brynna said as soon as she noticed they were all almost done with dinner.

"Sure." Sam felt something fishy about this request so she was preparing mentally for any possible question Brynna might ask.

"Let's get going Codester." Sam said laughing while she picked up Cody and carried him like she used too. Though he was getting heavier Sam could still manage picking him up. Cody pretended to not like it.

"Put me down" he said while giggling. Sam and Cody disappeared into the living room and their voices became distant as they went upstairs. Gram and Brynna began picking up the dishes and Wyatt and Jake began going outside. Brynna stopped Wyatt and said something to him with just her eyes then proceeded to follow after Sam and Cody.

"Sam?" Brynna called up the stairs.

"We're in here." Sam yelled from her Dad and Brynnas' room.

"Boo!" Cody yelled from where he was 'hiding'.

"Oh!" Brynna played along and all three of them giggled.

"Samantha, is there anything you want to talk about?" Brynna asked not so smoothly.

"Uh. No. Not really." Sam said a little taken by surprise.

"Are you sure?" Brynna pried.

"Uh-huh" Sam answered not looking Brynna in the eye. She was getting an idea of where this was going, or meant to go to. Brynna let the conversation sit there, hoping that by giving Samantha time to think she'd want to open up by herself.

"Well," Sam started. Brynna's plan was working. "Never mind." Sam finished.

"Sam, you know you can talk to me about anything. I will always try to listen with an open mind." Brynna said slowly while she looked at Sam with caring, motherly eyes.

Sam almost broke down crying. No matter how much she had come to love Brynna, Sam wanted to be able to talk about all her girl teenage drama with her mom, her real mom.

Samantha didn't cry however, she smiled at Brynna and let Cody fall out of her grasp. Brynna cared about her and she knew it.

"I know. Thanks." Sam said sweetly. She hesitated because she didn't know where to start.

"Your welcome. Now do you have something you want to talk about?" Brynna tried again.

"Yes. Okay." Sam was getting nervous, aside from Jen she had never told anyone about her true feelings towards Jake.

"Sam its okay you don't have to be embarrassed." Brynna said a little amused at the pink tinge Sam's cheeks had acquired.

"Okay, I know. Uhm. Okay." Sam didn't know how to say it. "Okay." She said more determined. Brynna waited patiently.

"Well, I like Jake." Sam finally let it out smiling, even though her brain and her heart where confused about many things, that fact was not one of them. Brynna gave her a knowing glance but didn't say anything. They sat in silence for a while.

"I'm not that surprised." Brynna said with a smile.

"Huh? Why?" Sam said a little confused.

"It was pretty obvious. From a while back. Even before Jake left to college. Right?" Brynna said while making herself more comfortable.

"Yeah, something like that." Sam said a little distracted, "Was it really that obvious?" Sam finished a little embarrassed. Brynna chuckled and Sam's face flushed a little.

"Don't worry about it, you are a pretty good actress, but honey, as a woman, and as once a girl of your age, there are many things different about a woman that's in love, and that's been hurt." Brynna finished tenderly, showing wisdom that Sam never thought she had, at least in that subject. Sam always saw Brynna as one of the best horsewomen she knew; but when it came to subjects of the heart, Sam felt there was no one she was going to be able to talk to.

"Like what?" Sam said curiously.

"Well, the changes are so subtle that the person changing most times won't even notice them. A woman in love always has a subtle smile on her face, and it lingers even more in her eyes." Brynna started then began staring off into space. Sam listened intently. "They way she moves is more graceful, lighter, she feels as if the world weighs nothing, as if she weighs nothing. Laughter, good moods, and dressing up for no reason are common too," Brynna continued, chuckling. Sam smiled.

"A woman hurt is harder than a rock and colder than ice without even knowing. Their smile is empty, and it never shows in their eyes. They're like an empty shell, on the outside they are laughing, smiling, living; on the inside they're crying, breaking. They shake off anything that has to do with the one that hurt them for fear of opening still raw wounds." Brynna gave Sam a knowing look.

A heavy silence sat in between them.

"Jake hurt me." Sam said breaking the silence.

"I know," Brynna said. "You suddenly stopped saying his name, talking about him, talking to him."

"I know. I even took acting to learn to act like I was fine." Sam said softly, embarrassed.

"And now? I saw you holding hands?" Brynna said confused.

"I know." Samantha said half happy, half sad. "He made things a little better, sort of." Brynna waited for Sam to continue.

"Okay well long story short, before he went off to college I went looking for him one day to tell him that well, to tell him how I felt, and when I found him he was, he was with another girl, and I hid so they didn't see me but I could hear them." Sam took a deep breath. "And well he told her, he said, that he loved her, and well yea." She stopped and took deep breaths. _You are not crying Samantha Anne!_

Once calm she continued, "and well since then I tried forgetting him, didn't happen, still tried, then he came back. I was set on not falling for him again, and again that was an epic fail. And things where awkward until," Sam stopped again, she wasn't sure if she should tell Brynna about the towel incident. "Until, he called me to apologize for, for being a jerk, and then I don't know if it was me or him that continued the conversation but we stayed late talking on the phone, like teasing each other, basically flirting, and, and, he was talking!" Sam remembered how shocked she had been. "Jake Ely NEVER talks! And he was talking, he was flirting! I know he was because he basically told me I was beautiful," Sam smiled remembering the conversation. "And then today outside the barn he was the one trying to keep a conversation going, he was the talkative one! And he was the one that got my hand." Sam said confused and a little happy, but then she remembered what Jen had said "But, but what about that other girl!? Who was she, is she? Is she still important? What happened between them? Should I ask him? Should I wait for him to tell me? Should I care?" Sam finished exasperated.

Brynna processed what Sam had just said and Sam was thinking about everything again.

"Wow." Brynna started, "Well that was something." Brynna exhaled loudly, and then straightened up. "Well, in my opinion, he probably has similar feelings towards you." Sam smiled.

"But," Brynna cautioned, "I would find it in your best interest to ask him about this other girl, I mean it's clearly bothering you, and if you and him want to start a relationship then honesty and communication are very important."

"Yeah, I know." Sam said, she felt exhausted, not just physically but emotionally.

"Why don't you go take a nice hot bath and just think about everything, do what you know deep down is going to make you feel better." Brynna said while she moved towards Sam to hug her. Sam accepted the hug; a treacherous tear escaped her eyes. Before any more fell Sam pushed away.

"Don't cry Sam, everything happens for a reason and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger." Brynna said wiping her tear away and giving her another quick hug. "Now, go shower, you smell." Brynna said laughing; she was trying to lighten up the mood. It worked, Sam smiled.

"Okay." Sam said as she walked out of her dad and Brynna's room.

Sam sat in the nice hot water of her bath and relaxed. She let her muscles loosen up, she let the steam go inside her and warm her soul. Sam wanted to blank her mind of everything. She wanted to be in a place of nothingness, where nothing hurt her, where nothing could touch her.

Slowly, however, that utopia left her. The pain and the love came back to her in small doses, stabbing and healing at the same time.

"Damn you Jake!" Sam exclaimed.

"What I do?" a deep, surprised-sounding, voice said.


	11. Fatherly Love

"What the!" Sam jumped in surprise making all the soap bottles tumble over and splashing water all over the place.

"Sam are you okay?" Jake's voice came from behind the bathroom door.

"Yes, I'm fine." Sam said with annoyance as she tried to pick up all the bottles without slipping and falling. "What are you doing up here?" She added as she sat back down in the bathtub.

"Uhm. Well, your dad told me to come up here and tell you that he wants to talk to you. I thought you were in your room but uhh your not so…" Jake responded nervously.

Sam inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled. Jake waited.

"I'll be down in a little bit give me like fifteen minutes." Sam got out of the tub and into a towel. She let the water escape through the drain and tried to clean up the mess she had made. Thankfully when she stepped outside into the hall Jake was no longer there and she could hear no one downstairs. Sam's heart fell and she felt her face turn into a small pout. She might be thankful to have Jake gone, but at the same time she wished he was there with her.

Sam hurried into her room and got dressed as quick as she could. She then hurried downstairs and went looking for her dad.

"Dad?" Samantha called his name around the house.

"I'm out here." Wyatt's voice came from the porch outside.

"Jake said you wanted to talk to me?" Sam said feeling a little antsy about where this conversation may end up.

"Uh-huh." Wyatt said without looking at his daughter. He wasn't a man of many words and Sam could see that he was struggling with himself so she let the silence linger for a little while more.

"Okay Samantha listen and please don't interrupt." Wyatt broke the silence.

"Kay." Sam said getting even more nervous.

"I spoke to Jake and I'm going to tell you the exact same thing." Wyatt stopped to turn towards his daughter. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds.

"Okay." Sam said, palms sweating.

"Now, Jake is a nice hardworking boy who just graduated college. But that doesn't mean he's good enough for my daughter, in my opinion no one is. But your growing up, your almost out of high school, you are in the appropriate age and well if you and Jake want to be in a relationship and all well then, it's alright by me." Wyatt said feeling a little awkward at having to have this conversation with his baby girl.

"Dad.." Sam didn't know what to say.

"Now, just listen." Wyatt all of a sudden got a rush of words, "You're my baby girl and I love you and I never want to see you hurt but I know you will eventually bring me back some guy for me to meet and I'd much rather that guy be Jake than any other person. So just remember you have curfew, no going out on school nights, no staying up late talking either, you still have chores and your grades better not drop or else we will have problems you hear me?" Wyatt's threat fell flat when paired up with his smile and a hug.

"Well…thanks Dad." Sam accepted his approval and hug and let him go inside the house without saying anything.

Sam sat down on the porch bench and thought about what had just happened, and more importantly, what happened between Jake and Wyatt, that he had felt compelled to have to talk to Samantha.

_I have to know what Jake told Dad._ Sam thought to herself. _But how?_


	12. The River

The next two days passed by slow. Chores, rehearsals. Rehearsals, chores. And worst of all no Jake. Sam hadn't seen or heard from him since he had interrupted her "stress relieving bath".

Sam was getting frustrated. She had to know what Jake had told her Dad. She didn't even have Jen since Miss-Smart-Mouth got grounded for talking back.

"Damn it can't she learn to stay quiet!" Sam said angrily to the stack of hay she was supposed to be moving.

"You know talking to yourself is a sign of insanity." Jake's voice came from behind Sam.

"Jake!" Sam exclaimed dropping the stack of hay. Jake chuckled.

"If you keep sneaking up on me, YOU'RE going to make me become insane." Sam rolled her eyes as she picked up the stack of hay and began moving it. Jake just smiled.

"Why are you so happy?" Sam asked annoyed.

"Just." Jake said with his tomcat smile.

"Where have you been lately?" Sam asked even more annoyed.

"Around." Jake answered as he sat down on the barn floor.

"Did you come to see Dad?" Sam asked trying to start a conversation.

"No." Jake answered, pulling his Stetson down over his eyes.

"Did you come to take a nap?" Sam asked getting really frustrated.

"No." Jake answered; he could feel Sam's patience boiling.

"Then why are you here?" Sam tried to remain calm.

"Just." Jake answered and he couldn't control the smile the spread through his lips.

"Did you go to college to learn mono-syllable words?" Sam asked with attitude dripping on every word.

"No." Jake answered smiling even broader.

"Fine then!" Sam turned around and began storming out of the barn.

"Brat wait. Come on, don't get mad." Jake called after her catching up to her in three strides. "Hey I was just teasing. I'm sorry." Jake said as he caught her arm and turned her towards him. Sam took a look in those mustang eyes and forgot why she was even mad.

"No, I'm sorry. I've just been very irritable lately." Sam said exhaling deeply.

"You want to talk about it?" Jake asked seriously concerned.

"Not really, but I'm going to anyways." Sam said in a very defeated tone.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to." Jake said, "You can talk to Jen. I can take you if you want." He added his eyes searching for Sam's but she wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Can't. She's grounded. Besides she's not the one I need to talk to. You are." Sam said a bit of her perfect façade falling down.

"Me?" Jake asked wary now.

"Yeah you." Sam met his gaze for an instant then looked away. "Hold on."

Sam ran towards the house and wrote a quick note saying she went for a ride with a Jake and that she'd be back before dinner then she ran back towards where she had left Jake standing.

"Can we go for a ride?" Sam asked him without looking at him.

"Sure." Jake answered.

"You can borrow a horse." Sam told Jake as she went towards the pastures.

Once on their horses they began riding. Jake said nothing and neither did Sam. Both where deep in thought. Sam didn't know why she decided to take him to the spot where so many years ago he had broken her heart without even knowing.

_Maybe he'll know what I want to tell him without me having to say anything._ Sam thought to herself.

They reached the river and dismounted. Sam stared at the horses drinking and Jake stared at her.

"So what do you need to talk about?" Jake asked rubbing the back of his neck. "And why did we have to come all the way here to talk?"

_Mom, please give me strength._ Sam thought to herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she turned around and stared into those mustang eyes that had haunted her many nights.


	13. Confessions Part 1

Jake stared back into Sam's eyes with equal intensity. He waited.

"Jake, I" Sam started but hesitated. She took another deep breath. "Jake I love you." She confessed.

"I have loved you for many years. I tried to tell you many times but I always chickened out. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. And then you were graduating and leaving for college and I didn't want to hope and dream and fall for someone who wasn't going to be here. I was going to tell you on your graduation party, I tried, but I was too afraid of rejection." Sam's voice was barely at a whisper and she couldn't make her eyes look at Jake.

"So the day before you left I decided I was going to do it. Go tell you how I felt. I was determined. So I went looking for you and I found you. Here." Sam said motioning towards where they were. "And I saw Witch and another horse. Then I heard your voice and, and," Sam's voice broke, a treacherous tear fell down her cheek hard and fast.

"And another girls voice. And I wanted to turn around and run away but I couldn't. So I stayed and I listened to the laughing and the teasing and, and I heard you tell her that you, that you loved her and how excited you both were to go to college together. And I knew I didn't stand a chance against that. My whole world came crashing down and you didn't even notice." Sam felt the words she had been hiding come out as if they had been held captive for centuries and where finally allowed freedom.

"So I ran away then. I didn't want to ruin your happiness." Sam was crying now.

"And that was the last day I cried because of you. I vowed to never do it again. I erased you completely form my brain and heart. I never spoke your name or even thought about you. I took acting classes so that no one could know how broken I was, not even me and especially not you. I avoided you when you came to visit. I got into so many things in school to stay busy to have an excuse not to be home. And on those rare times when I did see you even though on the inside my heart exploded to millions of tiny pieces my outside was completely unmovable. You suspected nothing. No one did." Sam's tears had dried.

"I had been fine up until when Jen called and said you were back, back. And ever since then I have found it harder and harder to hold up this wall. Every time I try and fix it you make a new hole in it. And the worst part is. I let you. A part of me still wants you to break through all of my wall. But a bigger part of me doesn't trust you, even though you did nothing because you didn't even know, until now. You have way too much power over me, if you hurt me without even knowing it. How about now that you do?" Sam stopped talking. Both she and Jake said nothing for a while.

"The worst part is I don't even know if you are still with that one girl?" Sam whispered.

"Sam, I." Jake hesitated. He just couldn't find the right words.

"Sam, I love you too." Jake said as he reached to hold Sam's hand. He caressed it then pulled it up to his lips and kissed it sweetly, inhaling her aroma. "My heart has always belonged to you and only you." He said pulling her hand up over his heart.


	14. Confessions Part II

Samantha pulled her hand back. She wasn't going to let herself believe so easily. Jake didn't try to get her hand back. He sat down on the floor and stared out onto the lake. Sam quietly looked at him, waiting.

"But, I just never had the guts to tell you. It took forever for me to even let myself acknowledge it." Jake spoke into the lake. "I pretended it was only brotherly affection. That that's why I was so protective." He stopped to take a deep breath.

"People would tell me. Darrell. My brothers. Even my dad. They'd all make fun of me. Then I went to go visit the college I was going to go to and I met Dana. She was different. Very nice, talkative. She reminded me a little of you." Jake chuckled. Sam was still standing up, listening intently to every word that Jake was saying. This is what she had been waiting for, the truth.

"We got to know each other that weekend. When the weekend ended we exchanged phone numbers. We texted and chatted almost every day. We talked as much as we could." Jake turned to look at Sam. "See by this time I had already admitted to myself that I was madly in love with you. And I didn't want to Samantha. I was confused. So I thought maybe Dana would make me see that I really did love you like a brother." Jake looked back to the river.

"That day you were talking about she came down to visit. The next day we were going to drive to our new school together. I brought her horseback riding because she said she loved horses. I was determined to forget these feelings I had discovered towards you so I gave them to her. Maybe falling in love with Dana would make me forget I loved you, I don't know." Jake took another deep breath. He began picking up rocks and trying to make them skip across the river.

"And what about now?" Samantha said almost emotionless.

"Well, me and Dana were in a relationship the whole time we were there." Jake said sounding a little bitter.

"Why'd you say it like that? You did tell her you loved her." Sam said, her emotionless voice turning almost accusatory.

"Yeah, I did. And so did she. Neither of us meant it. I can assure you of that." Jake's voice got hard. "You see I'm going to tell you about me and Dana even though I know you don't want to hear about it." Jake stopped to gather his thoughts again. "Well the first couple of months where great, except for the fact that every time I was with her I wished it were you. After a while though she grew on me. Dana wasn't a bad person; she just made a lot of bad choices. She cheated. A couple of times through our four years there I caught her cheating." Jake stopped.

Sam didn't know what to say or do. She decided to sit down next to him. They both sat facing the river, breathing in harmony.

"It hurt." Jake broke the silence. "I'm not going to lie. It hurt a lot. I did have strong feelings for her. I mean we were together for a year and a half the first time. A little past our second anniversary the second time. And on our third anniversary I caught her with my supposed friend. I really fell for that girl. But you know why I kept forgiving her Samantha?" Jake turned to look at Sam and Sam looked back at Jake.

"I forgave her because she wasn't you. Me loving you as much as I do reminded me that in a way I had always and would always be cheating on her. My feelings for her where nothing like the ones for you, so I was never really devastated to hear she was doing this with whoever. In a way it was even a relief to hear things like that." Jake stopped again. The last rays of sunlight where shining down on them, warming them up when each felt so cold inside.

"Right before we graduated she came to talk to me. Told me something I had been suspecting for so long. Turned out the whole time she had kept her high school boyfriend. So ever vacation, holiday, she'd be with him. She said that the only reason she was with him was because she found very hard to break up with him. Family reasons or something. Told me that as soon as she went back though she was going to do it and then she was going to come down to see me and we can finally be together, just us, or something. I stopped listening. I told her not to bother. I had made up my mind to I was done pretending. Obviously you were not something I could so easily forget, even though I thought you hated me. We would have gotten into an argument but the ceremony began and afterwards I packed up and left. We haven't talked since." Jake finished and stared at the river for a while. The last ray of sunshine disappeared and Jake stood up.

"Its late you should get home." He said trying to change the subject.

"So are you together or not?" Sam said while she was getting up.

"I say we're not. But I don't know. Things didn't really end up like they should have." Jake said eager to finish the conversation. Sam noticed this.

"What used up all the words you were allowed for ten years?" Sam tried to lighten up the mood a little. Even if she had been hurt by Jake, Jake had been hurt too, a lot, and far worse. _Besides he loves me!_ The selfish, childish, side of Sam was jumping up and down ecstatic with joy. Jake suddenly grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her towards him.

"Sam, I am very sorry I hurt you. I never meant to. Now you know everything and I understand if you are still guarded and stuff but I just want you to know that I do love you. A lot. And I will get things straight with Dana. Like I said before my heart has always and will always belong to you." Jake said in such a deep and sincere voice that Sam couldn't help but let a tear fall down. Jake stopped it with his thumb and smiled slyly.

"Brat, are you crying of happiness cus' you won't hear me speaking for another ten years seeing as I just spent all my words?" Jake said chuckling.

"Ugh! Ruin a good moment." Sam answered back though she couldn't help chuckle with Jake.

"We should get back before you get in trouble." Jake said motioning towards the horses.

"Yeah, I don't wanna end up like Jen." Samantha grumbled her agreeance.

They headed towards their horses, mounted on, and headed back to River Bend Ranch. Neither of them spoke, each was lost in their own thoughts. Though it was a silent ride, it was a comfortable silence. And in that same comfortable silence they got the horses back to the pastures. Jake walked Sam towards the ranch house and when they were a couple of yards away Sam stopped Jake and turned him towards her.

"So where does that leave us?" Sam asked very determined.

"I don't know that's all up to you." Jake answered a little taken off guard by the sudden question.

"Well things are still hazy between you and Dana right?" Sam asked while still thinking about what it was that she wanted.

"I guess, yes. For her anyway." Jake answered.

"Well I'd feel much better if things cleared up before anything that could happen between me and you does, so I say we just stay how we are now." Sam said though a part of her inside was sad.

"I'm okay with being just friends." Jake said with the most honest voice and biggest sincere smile ever that Sam's face fell, she hoped that maybe he would put up a little bit of a fight at least. Jake laughed at her reaction and grabbed her hand. He raised it up to his lips then kissed it gently but with passion brewing underneath.

"For now." Jake said as he began walking towards his car, still laughing.

Sam felt the blood rush up to her face, a big smile formed on her lips. She turned towards the house and hurried in. Sam had to tell someone about this now.

_He loves me like I love him!_ Sam kept saying to herself. Smiling.


	15. Is it worth the guilt?

The next day Sam woke up confused. She didn't know if she felt happy or sad. Her talk with Brynna last night had made her fall of her "Jake loves me" cloud and land on the cold hard "Jake technically still has a girlfriend sort of" floor.

"Wait until they've talked." She said. "How would you feel?" She asks. Easy for her to say she's married!

Samantha was frustrated and the more she thought about the more confused and torn she felt. She wished she could talk to Jen. _Jen!_ _I have rehearsal!_ She screamed to herself.

Sam jumped out of bed and hurried to the restroom. She showered quickly and got dressed even quicker. She only paused to look at the time and she was already 5 minutes late, by the time she got there…well let's just say she was going to her funeral.

* * *

"Why are you late?" Mr. Crane asked with a crisp voice.

"I have no excuse. I'm sorry and it won't happen again." Sam answered sincerely.

"You bet it won't because if it does you should not even bother to show up." He said angrily. "I won't tolerate tardiness, especially this close to the show." He yelled at all of us. He turned again towards Sam and gave her a very stern look that made Sam turn and walk towards the dressing rooms like a dog with their tail between their legs.

In the dressing room however she found Jen and though they didn't get a chance to talk a lot Sam said enough to have both of them a little out of it, each girl lost in their own thoughts while trying to perform their parts well.

Lunch couldn't come sooner. Sam and Jen had their lunches and where sitting together before anyone had even had a chance to process that there was a break.

"So what happened?" Jen asked curiosity dripping in every word.

"Well long story short he told me everything." Sam started.

"And everything is?" Jen prompted her.

"Okay so basically he loves me," Sam couldn't help smiling. "Always has."

"So what about that girl then?" Jen said almost accusatorily.

"Dana is her name and they met at their orientation thingy during his last year at Darton High. He was using her to try and get over the fact that he loved me. She cheated on him and that made him realize he didn't really care cus he still loved me. Though I mean I can tell that it hurt him, just the way his eyes got when he spoke of her. I knew he cared about her a lot but still not like he does for me. She was cheating on him the whole time too. All the time they were together she was still dating her old hometown love." Sam spilled over the words, desperate to find an answer to what to do. Jen said nothing, thinking deeply about what Sam had said. Samantha was getting nervous she didn't want to hear another Brynna she wanted someone to tell her to go for it because in Jakes mind he had finished things with Dana.

"Jake told her to not bother even breaking up with him cus he didn't want to hear from her again and then left and they never spoke again. Which we both know means that there wasn't like full closure on the relationship and chances are that she might still think that they're together." Sam finished the story.

"So where does that leave you too?" Jen asked.

"That's what I've been asking myself. I told him that I'd rather wait for him to talk to her and settle things. You know, like if something happens between us I want it to be the right way. But.."Sam trailed off.

"But at the same time you don't want to wait." Jen finished for her.

"Is it wrong?" Sam asked feeling like a small child.

"Well I don't know it's tricky. I mean on the one side she cheated, a lot, from what I've heard. Jake technically did finish things, with the whole 'I never want to hear from you again' thing. Plus you both love each other. But on the other hand both of you have a strong feeling that this girl still thinks she's in a relationship with him so in her mind it would be cheating. Plus Jake know her better than either of us and if he thinks she thinks that then she most likely does. And cheating is just plain wrong." Jen voiced what Sam had been thinking about the whole day.

"So?" Sam asked feeling this conversation was leading nowhere.

"So I don't know. It's not like I have lots of experience in this area. All I'm going to tell you it's that you do what you got to do to be happy. Just remember if you feel you're doing something bad, you start feeling guilt and all, then 4 out of 5 times it's because you are." Jen said looking seriously at her best friend. Samantha couldn't bring herself to meet Jen's gaze.

Like a good friend Jen didn't bring up the subject again and instead they talked about Jen's grounded days and soon all thoughts of Jake and Dana where forgotten.

* * *

Winter break was over and Sam went back to school. With the play's opening coming soon she hardly had time to think of anything other than school, chores, and the play. Thoughts of her and Jake finally together creeped up constantly into Samantha's mind, though, and she would find herself daydreaming in class or rehearsal. More than once people had to practically shout at her for her to notice she was being spoken too. She had hardly seen Jake since their confessions session and the few times she did they were true to their word and where just like before. Added that they flirted a little more openly and would catch each other's eyes and smile playfully. But still no more lengthy love confessions and definitely no physical signs of affection. Not even holding hands.

Samantha kept thinking of what to do. She really didn't want to wait to finally be able to be with Jake, being able to call him hers. Especially not after how long she'd waited and how much pain she had gone through. Sam was young and selfish and she didn't really care. She wanted to be with Jake.

But at the same time Jens words replayed in her mind, "Just remember if you feel you're doing something bad, you start feeling guilt and all, then 4 out of 5 times it's because you are", and Sam couldn't shake off the bad feeling she would get at the pit of her stomach whenever she would think of her and Jake together. No matter how she painted it in her head. No matter what Dana had done to Jake and how much she would deserve it. No matter if Jake had ended things and it's her fault for not getting the clue. Sam wasn't sure if she could be with someone, even Jake, when they weren't one hundred and fifty percent single.

The new question that replayed in Sam's head, like a broken record machine, was if it was worth the guilt.


	16. The Barn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: this chapter contains some sexual content (i mean nothing hardcore) but just in case you are not into that its underlined so you can skip whatever is underlined :)

Opening night crept up like a ghost. Sam was do consumed with her thoughts of nervousness that she jumped half out of her skin when someone knocked lightly outside her door.

"Yes?" Sam said a little out of breath.

"Honey? It's your Gram. May I come in?" Sam's gram said from the other side of the door.

"Uh. Sure." Sam said going back to being a nervous wreck.

"Nervous?" Gram asked with a small amount of amusement on her eyes.

"A little." Sam confessed trying to focus on breathing.

"Honey you are going to be fine stop worrying about it. " Gram tried to reassure her.

"Aha." Sam said with a nervous giggle.

"Samantha, you are a beautiful talented girl and remember you are not alone up there. Your mom is always there next to you ready to catch you before you fall. She is so proud of you. We all are honey." Gram said while giving Sam a reassuring hug. Sam almost broke down in tears, as it was a couple of treacherous ones managed to escape.

"Now, now you'll ruin your makeup." Gram play scolded.

"Yeah and I don't want Mrs. Hampton to hang me." Sam joked around giving another nervous laugh. Her grandmother joined her.

"I just came back here to wish you good luck. Don't worry about anything because you know you're going to be fine." She smiled. "We all came here to watch you perform doesn't matter if it's good or bad okay." Gram said giving her a final hug.

"Thank you Grandma." Sam said giving her a final hug before they both headed out the door, her Gram towards the audience and Sam towards backstage.

* * *

After the play everyone went to the Ely's ranch to have a big celebration for Samantha and Jen. They both had done wonderful jobs and where being appraised left and right for their work.

Something Samantha didn't tell anyone, though is that right after she had gotten approached by Julliard school of performing arts and they had told her that they were very interested in having her attend their school and where willing to offer her a full ride scholarship. She wasn't planning on telling anyone soon either.

She had way too much to worry about anyway.

The Ely's ranch was full of people; it was almost like when they had thrown Jake that after graduation party when he had graduated high school. There was way too many people plus Sam was on a mission of avoiding a certain someone so Sam went into the Ely barn and sat down on a blanket that for some reason had been left there. Samantha was successfully avoiding him; she had been since winter break. At first it wasn't intentional, she had just been really busy, and so had him.

But later she began actively avoiding him, mostly because she was still confused over what she wanted. She really wanted to be with him, she had waited all that time and now to be stopped because some stupid girl couldn't get a hint? But at the same time she wasn't sure if it was morally right because no matter what Dana still thought her and Jake where in a relationship which meant that they where, right?

It was in this deep state of thought that Jake found Sam.

"You okay Brat?" Jake asked teasing lightly. Sam jumped. Jake laughed.

"Do you enjoy scaring me half to death?" Sam asked annoyed.

"As long as it's only half because I don't know what I would do if you where scared to death." Jake said as he grabbed one of Sam's hands and took it into his own. Sam felt all the blood rush to her cheeks. She didn't know what to say so she said nothing at all. Jake chuckled again.

"You preformed really well." Jake said while beginning to rub circles on Sam's hand.

"You, you, uhm, you where there?" Sam stumbled over her words; she was finding it very hard to talk.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." Jake said as he kissed Sam's hand. Sam's heart stopped. Not once had his lips ever made contact with any part of her, even if it was just her hand, her head was spinning. She wanted to remember why she had an objection to being with Jake in the first place.

"Oh." Was all Sam could answer. Jake smiled into her hand and continued placing kisses slowly up her arm. His lips felt rough but soft at the same time. Every time they made contact with Sam's skin she would explode inside. Sam felt her mouth dry, the butterflies in her stomach where flying around like a hurricane.

"So can I ask why you have been avoiding me?" Jake asked in between kisses, smirking when Samantha couldn't seem to remember how to talk. A good ten seconds passed before some far off part of Sam's brain screamed at her to answer anything.

"What?" She asked almost in a trance.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Jake asked again, smirking and pulling her closer to his body.

"I, um, I haven't." Sam said still caught in a trance.

"Yes you have." Jake said starting to kiss Samantha's other shoulder and slowly, tenderly moving down to her other hand till he had that one in his hands as well.

Samantha wanted to throw herself in his arms right then and there, but still a sensible part, a very small, minute sensible part was telling her to remember that he was 'taken' for all intents and purposes and whatever they did would constitute as cheating.

Jake felt her make to pull back. He had worked so hard to gather up the nerve to get to where he was right now, he would never push anything physical from Samantha but he wasn't going to chicken out either. He has promised himself that he would kiss her by the end of tonight. The things that he wished would happen afterwards could be left in his dream until she wished.

Remembering his very vivid, very naughty dream, Jake felt an involuntary blush begin to form. Sam caught him blushing and she stopped herself from pulling back, she was shocked. Jake Ely blushing.

"Jake?" Sam asked trying not to laugh. She thought it was very cute.

"Sam?" Jake asked looking Samantha straight in the eye, his look was so full of passion, need, and love that Samantha was temporarily taken aback.

_Kiss me! Kiss me!_ She thought. _Don't kiss me! It's wrong!_ Her mind countered.

At the end Samantha had no choice. Jake leaned forward and very slowly, so as to give Samantha time to back away, he pressed his lips to hers. It was a very chaste, very tender kiss, but their first.

Sam's insides exploded at the fact that Jake Ely, the guy she thought she would never have, had just kissed her. She was so happy a big smile formed on her lips.

Jake had been nervous at Samantha's response but took the smile as encouragement and leaned in for a second kiss.

Their second kiss was filled with all their need, desire, despair, and want. Their love and their lust. Jake's lips crushed onto Samantha's after barely giving her enough time to recover. The kiss slowly began to deepen and Jake's tongue swept along Samantha's lower lip begging for entrance which Samantha gladly accepted. Jake rested one of his hands on Samantha's mid thigh making Samantha moan at the closeness. Sam's hands reached up to Jake's neck and latched on there. Their tongues danced gracefully, each enjoying each other's taste. Jake broke the kiss but never lost contact with Samantha. He kissed down to her neck, where he began sucking lightly, never enough to leave a mark. Samantha moaned a little louder, she could feel a heat start to grow deep in her stomach. She felt a need to be closer to him. She moved his head back to her lips and they began their tongue dance again and that's when Samantha made to straddle him. She could feel the growing bulge in Jakes pants and smiled in satisfaction. Jake moved his hands and cupped her butt and pushed her into him, a low growl escaping him. Samantha almost turned crazy with want at feeling her womanhood up against bulge. She couldn't get enough of the intense pleasure it caused her. She began grinding into him, moaning and kissing his neck all at once. If it was even possible, Jake grew larger. His hands began roaming Samantha's body glad that she wasn't stopping him. As if practiced they both stopped their administrations at the same time yet neither made to move from their current position.

They looked each other dead in the eye, passion and love was reflected in them. They gave each other a sweet tender kiss and rested their foreheads together; neither had said a word yet. Jake moved Samantha from straddling him to being almost cradled in his arms.

"I love you." They both said at the same time, and chuckled. They stayed in this position for a couple more minutes in content silence.

"We should get back to the party." Jake finally said.

"Yeah before they start to worry?" Samantha said making her way off of Jake.

"You may want to, um, fix your hair there." Jake said with a smirk.

"What you smirking about." Sam said jokingly as she took his advice and began fixing her hair and makeup.

"How do I look?" Sam asked turning towards Jake.

"You look beautiful, but then again you always do." Jake said planting another sweet chaste kiss on her lips and then they both made their way out of the barn and towards the party.


	17. The Next Morning

Samantha woke up the next morning feeling dirty. She knew why.

She let herself get carried away by a…boy, man, whatever he was; she thought she'd never have.

After they left the barn that night, Samantha had been flushed, and as she spoke to Jen, Jake's mom, her Gram, her Dad, the realization of what she had done hit her.

She was embarrassed.

She woke up dreading having to see Jake. She took one of the longest showers imaginable, just standing there. Letting the water knead through her stiff back. Trying desperately to get that clean feeling back.

She was confused.

A part of her brain was screaming at her that what she had done was wrong, especially because he technically sort of had a girlfriend but not really. It was too much, too soon. Another part of her craved more from Jake, and that made her feel a whole ten shades of wrong.

She vowed to never do anything that extreme until they were married or least when they were an official couple.

She loved Jake, she did. And though it felt wrong, was wrong, at the same time she couldn't bring herself to completely look at the incident with pure bad disgust. If it was some random guy then Samantha would definitely be going crazy. Not that she would even consider doing stuff like that with anyone other than Jake.

But that simple fact that he loved her and she loved him just made it seem not all that disgraceful.

Love.

If anything was to ever happen between her and Jake it would be because they were openly together and very much in love, preferably married.

One problem. Didn't guys want that kind of stuff? Especially older guys?

"I'm pretty sure what- her- face is and he did some pretty…intense stuff." Sam spat out disgusted and more than a little jealous. How was she going to compete? She had already gave him a taste…could she go back on it? Would he let her? Or would he "convince" her otherwise?

"Samantha stop being stupid Jake's not like that!" Samantha reprimanded herself.

She needed to talk to him. But she was still embarrassed and didn't really want to.

There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" Samantha screamed so that she could be heard over the rumble of the shower.

"Just checking of you hadn't turned into a mermaid?" Her gram's voice answered back.

"Still human gram." Sam answered rolling her eyes, but smiling nonetheless.

"Well hurry up because Jake is waiting downstairs." Gram told Samantha.

Samantha's heart fell to the bottomless pit of her stomach. She wasn't ready to face him.

Not yet.


	18. The Talk

The day was beautiful. Samantha and Jake where trotting along watching the sunset, heading to who knows where, just enjoying the moment.

Or trying to.

Jake couldn't figure out what was wrong with Samantha. She kept being evasive and jumpy. She wouldn't even hug him hi. Silent Jake had been the one trying to keep the conversation going, but Sam wasn't giving him much to work with. Grunts weren't good conversation movers.

_Did I do something wrong?_ He thought to himself.

Thirty more minutes of silence and Jake exploded.

"Samantha, for the last time, what is wrong?" Jake asked frustrated.

"Nothing." Samantha answered almost monotone.

"Oh really? Have you noticed we have been dead quiet for thirty minutes straight?" Jake asked now annoyed.

"Yes." Samantha answered still very distant.

"Samantha tell me what's wrong with you, or, or, ugh!" Jake finished by jumping of Witch's back startling the horses and Samantha.

_Cowgirl up._ Samantha told herself as she slid off Ace's back.

"Okay I'll tell you, but I am just a little embarrassed." Sam whispered.

"What? I can't hear what you're saying." Jake asked.

"I am a little embarrassed." Sam whispered again.

"What? Samantha seriously I can't…" Jake began.

"I AM A LITTLE EMBARASSED! CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!" Sam cut him off.

Jake was taken aback. Sam could tell in his face he was hurt by how she talked to him.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have yelled." Sam said in her normal tone as she sat down on the ground. Jake sat down next to her.

"What are you embarrassed about?" Jake asked in a very cold tone. He was still mad about being yelled at for no reason.

"What. What we um. What we um. Did. At the. Um. At the barn." Sam said with immense difficulty.

"Why?" Jake asked, again taken aback by her answer.

"Well because for starters you are still technically a taken man." Sam said a little annoyed and even more embarrassed that how she felt wasn't how Jake felt.

"But if you really analyze it, I am not." Jake countered.

"I had never done anything before. The most I had ever gotten to was a kiss, maybe holding hands. I let myself get carried away by the moment. That was way to fast." Sam was spluttering everything out.

"Samantha. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I mean we've known each other forever, we really like each other, and we didn't do anything wrong." Jake said holding her hand. "It's normal for people who like each other to do things like what we did in the barn." He finished by kissing her hand.

"I know but still, it was just way too much. I felt kind of nasty afterwards. And not because of you. Definitely not because of you. But just I feel we should wait. At least until we are an official couple." Sam said not looking at Jake.

"Samantha I want you to know that you should never be embarrassed to talk to me about anything. Especially when it has to do with something that makes you feel uncomfortable. I also want you to know that I would never push to do anything you didn't want to. I'd wait for you until the end of all time Samantha. But I also want you to know that when two people are in love and they both feel ready then there is nothing wrong with experimenting with physical love, as long as the emotional and spiritual part of love is solid first. And obviously we have a long way to go before we are even ready to consider doing that. Samantha I want you to feel comfortable around me, so please let's put this behind us and try to just let it go." Jake said everything as honest and heart-felt as he could, because that's where the speech came from, from his heart.

Samantha was quiet for a little bit. They were still holding hands and Jake started doing small circles on her hand. Samantha leaned into him as a silent approval and Jake put his other arm around her as a silent acceptance. They sat there for a while, watching the sun go down and their horses graze, enjoying the moment and each other.

"Jake. I love you." Samantha said kissing his hand.

"I love you too." Jake said kissing her forehead.


	19. Guess Who's Back?

Things where back to normal, sort of.

Samantha still found it a little embarrassing to look at Jake, but as more days passed so did that feeling. Things around the farm where quiet too. Chores, school, chores, dinner, chores. That's about how it went. Every now and then she'd go out on a date with Jake or hang out with Jen or even go riding on her own looking for her horse like old times.

Still. Everything just seemed to be so unexciting, comfortable, but unexciting.

"There you are brat. I've been looking for you." A familiar voice came from behind Sam.

"When are you going to stop calling me that?" Sam said as she turned around to look at Jake.

"Mmm." He hummed as he closed the distance between them and then pulling Sam by her waist into his arms, "Never." he smirked looking down at her.

Sam reached up and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Jerk." She said as she freed herself from his grasp. "Now help me finish cleaning the barn so we can get to dinner faster." She smiled at him.

The happy sort-of-couple started on Sam's chore enjoying each other's company. After a short while there was a knock on the barn door.

"Samantha is Jake in there with you?" Gram's voice came from behind the barn door.

"Yes he is." Samantha answered back while walking over to the door to open it. "What's up?" she asked as soon as she saw her grandma.

"Jake your mother is on the phone for you. She said it's important." Gram told Jake.

"I'll be there in a few." Jake answered as he started to put down the hay he was moving and cleaning himself off.

Both Sam and Jake walked hand in hand towards the house, right behind Gram. As they made their way inside Gram went back to fixing dinner and Sam went to serve herself a cup of iced tea. Jake went to the phone.

"Hey mom what's up?...What is it?...Who?... …. …. I'm right here…Nothing. I'm fine I'll be right there….bye." Jake's conversation with his mother was short and as he hung up the phone Sam could see Jake tense up.

"Jake are you okay?" Sam asked worried.

"Is everything okay?" Gram asked stopping what she was doing to look at Jake.

"Yea, everything is fine I just got to go home really quick. I'll call you later Sam. Bye." Jake said hurriedly and with that he went outside, ran towards his horse, and galloped off.

"Oh, I hope everything is okay." Gram said to no one in particular as she resumed her cooking.

_I wonder what could have happened._ Sam thought as she stared off towards where Jake had disappeared.

* * *

That night Jake didn't call.

The next day Jake didn't come help Sam with her chores. He didn't answer her calls either.

"Dad do you know what happened to Jake." Sam asked her father at dinner. She was frustrated and worried.

"Let the boy be Samantha." Her dad answered between bites.

"Wyatt can't you see the poor girl is worried." Gram chastised her son.

"He came to work while you were at school. I asked him if everything was okay after what your Gram had told me and he said that everything was fine with his family. Nothing bad happened. All he said was that they got a visitor." Wyatt told the family in general because he could see that it wasn't only Samantha that was worried.

"A visitor? Who?" Brynna asked.

"I don't know. He didn't say." Wyatt said in a tone of voice that said that was the end of that conversation.

* * *

Samantha tried calling again that night. And again no answer. She threw her cell phone towards her bed.

"Why isn't he answering!" She said aloud.

Her phone started ringing and Samantha's heart skipped a beat. _It's Jake!_ She thought as she ran to get her phone.

"Hello?" She almost yelled into the receiver.

"Hey Sam." A familiar voice said on the other end. Familiar, but not Jake's.

"Hey Jen." Sam said and although she tried she wasn't successful at hiding her disappointment.

"Well geez glad to see you're excited to hear from me." Jen said snorting.

"I'm sorry Jen, it's just I thought you were Jake." Sam said trying to sound a little happier.

"Why would you think that?" Jen asked a little annoyed.

"It's just…okay listen. Yesterday Jake came over like he always does then his mom called him and he stormed off and since then he's been m.i.a. Well just from me apparently he came to work while I was at school." Sam told her best friend.

"Did something happen?" Jen asked concerned.

"No. According to my dad Jake said that everything is fine and that the Ely's just got a visitor or something. But still visitor or no visitor Jake should have called by now to say something." Sam said aggravated.

"Want me to find out what happened." Jen offered.

"How?" Sam snorted.

"Well Darrell is coming over drop something off for my mom, I'm sure since he is already here he could I don't know surprise Jake and find out what's wrong and then tell me and I can tell you." Jen said satisfied with her plan.

"What makes you say that Darrell doesn't already know?" Sam asked Jen skeptically.

"Well if he already knows then it will be a whole lot faster for him to tell me don't you think." Jen told Sam completely sure of herself.

"And what makes you think that Darrell will tell you, I mean Jake is his best friend." Sam said matter of factly.

"Oh Sammy girl, I have my ways." Jen said mischievously.

"Ew. Don't call me that." Sam said giggling. If anything this conversation was at least making her relax a little.

"Okay but seriously now I will get him to tell me. I'll call you tomorrow cuz I can hear his car now. Bye Sam and stop worrying okay." Jen said hurriedly and with that she hung up the phone.

_I hope you right Jen._ Sam thought as she connected her phone to the charger praying that Jake would call her and trying to get some sleep.

* * *

"Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz." The noise was coming from Samantha's dresser. Sam was slowly coming to her senses. She looked around the room expecting sunshine but it was still pitch black.

"Mhuh?" Samantha mumbled confused and still half-asleep. She looked towards her alarm clock; it was 3 A.M.

"Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz." The buzzing sound continued. Sam could see a bright blu-ish light coming from atop her dresser.

_Oh! Who could be calling at this hour?_ Sam thought to herself as she got out of her bed and walked towards her phone.

"Hello?" Samantha answered in a sleepy voice.

"Samantha wake up like now! I have to tell you what Darrell told me." Jen's silently screamed succeeding in finally waking Sam up.

"Couldn't you wait until tomorrow morning?" Sam asked cranky.

"Samantha did you listen to me! I know why Jake's avoiding you!" Jen asked exasperated. Sam let the words sink in.

"Wait you mean to tell me Darrell actually told you. But how? And why are you calling this early?" Sam asked a little suspicious.

"Yes he told me, I told you he would." Jen said giggling darkly.

"Did you torture it out or something and why are you calling this early?" Sam asked again.

"How I got him to tell me is not important and well it just couldn't wait." Jen said this time a little stutter, kind of like if she was nervous.

"Do you mean to say that you just found out? Like right now? Like Darrell just left your house right now?" Sam asked completely awake now, and shocked. Jen stayed quiet.

"Answer me!" Sam whisper screamed.

"Do you want to find out or not?" Jen retorted.

"Of course I do but…" Sam started.

"Then stop harassing me." Jen cut her. "Okay yes I just found out. Yes he just left, sort-of, and how I did it doesn't really matter right now, I can tell you later, much later, right now what matters is Jake and what he's hiding, or much more specific WHO he is hiding." Jen finished.

"Who?" Sam said a cold sweat going through out her body.

"Sam sit down or something cuz this ain't gonna be pretty." Jen said a little nervous. Sam did as her best friend told her and sat on her bed. Her heart was pounding so loud she was afraid everyone in the house would wake up.

"Samantha, the Ely's didn't get a visitor, Jake did." Jen said quietly.

"Who?" Sam said though deep within her she had a pretty good idea of who.

"Dana." Jen said even quieter.

Two lonely tears raced down Sam's cheeks and fell to the floor.


	20. Pokerface

Two days passed and still no sign of Jake. Apparently he came to River Bend when he knew Sam wasn't there.

_Coward._ Sam thought to herself. She had gone through all possible states of emotion. Sadness, betrayal, acceptance, denial, and finally anger. There really wasn't much she could do she had school and chores to do and without Jakes help it took her longer to finish her chores. Samantha would call Jake's cell phone but he wouldn't answer and after the hundredth time she gave up. She tried calling Jakes home phone twice. First time no answer. Second Quinn answered and made up an excuse to why Jake couldn't come to the phone. Gram and Brynna wouldn't let her call again told her to give him some space; he'd call when he was ready. Sam was frustrated and she couldn't even go riding because Gram thought she'd just end up going to the Ely's ranch.

The weekend rolled in and Sam couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to call his house one more time and if he doesn't answer I'm going to go up there." Sam said passed her boiling point. She would figure out a way to be able to go out riding. She dialed. She heard the ringing. No answer. Five rings later. Still no answer. Just when Sam was about to hang up and throw the phone against her wall she heard someone pick up.

"Hello?" A deep voice asked.

"Hi, this is Samantha. Is Jake home?" Sam answered back trying her best to sound polite.

"Oh hi Sam. It's Quinn." Quinn said in a happy tone.

"Hey. So is Jake home?" Sam said her anger bubbling under the surface.

"Uh. No. He isn't." Quinn said with no emotion.

"Do you know where he is?" Sam said a strong wave of sadness overtaking her. She could just imagine where, or better yet, with who he was with. Quinn was silent.

"Quinn? You there?" Sam asked her heart pounding so loud she was sure Quinn could hear it.

"Yea, I'm here. Hey have you eaten?" Quinn said all of a sudden.

"Huh?" Sam was taken aback by the sudden change in topic.

"Have you eaten?" Quinn repeated the question.

"Not since breakfast but anyway do u know…" Sam started but was cut off.

"Do you wanna go out to eat? To Clara's?" Quinn asked with what sounded to Sam was a little nervousness.

"What?" Sam was shocked. Was Quinn asking her out on a date?

"Do you wanna go out to eat?" Quinn repeated the question. "I haven't eaten anything cuz mom's not here and I'm starving." He said in a happy tone again.

"Uhm Quinn I kinda just wanna know where Jake is." Sam said trying to figure what the hell was happening.

"I'll make you a deal. Come with me so I won't eat alone like a loser and I'll tell you anything you want to know." Quinn said rushed.

"I have to ask permission." Sam said still not sure of what was going on.

"I'll wait." Quinn said patiently. Sam put down the phone like if it made break in half if handled roughly. Her head was swarming with questions but the most important one was what was going on with Jake and if the only thing stopping her from knowing was going out to eat with Quinn then she'd do that. She'd probably even get a free milkshake out from it.

She went downstairs and looked for someone.

"Gram? Brynna? Dad?" Sam called from the last staircase.

"In the kitchen." Gram's voice answered.

"Hey." Sam said to her grandma.

"Hello sweetie." Gram put down the cup she was drinking from. She was seated on the chair closest to the door going outside.

"Uhm can I go have lunch at Clara's" Sam asked trying to avoid the with who question.

"With?" Gram said turning her view from outside to Samantha.

"Quinn." Sam whispered. Gram's eyebrows shot up.

"He asked if I wanted to go with him." Sam said explaining some more.

"Do you want to go? With Quinn." Gram asked her in a way that made Sam think Gram was trying to say something else.

"Uhm yea. So can I?" Sam said confused and nervous.

"You sure?" Gram asked staring back outside.

"Yes." Sam said even more nervous than before.

"Then sure you can go. Just be back before the sun goes down okay." Her Gram said looking back at Sam with piercing eyes.

"Okay." Sam said and ran out of the kitchen and back to her room.

"Hello? Quinn? You there?" Sam asked cautiously.

"Yeah. So what's up?" Quinn asked and again Sam could hear something like nervousness in his voice.

"Gram said yes." Sam said trying to sound calm.

"Cool. I'll pick you up in like 15 okay." Quinn said rushed.

"Okay." Sam said even more confused.

"Kay, bye." And with that Quinn hung up the phone. Sam put the phone down on her bed and tried to make sense of what had just happened.

She called expecting some lame excuse to why Jake couldn't come to the phone and ended up asked out on a date by Quinn. Wait. Was it a date? Or was Quinn just trying to find someplace somewhat private to tell her about Jake? Or maybe he really was just hungry? But why couldn't he just tell her and then go eat?

Somewhere in her deep thinking she heard horse hooves over the bridge.

Her heart stopped. It couldn't be?

Sam ran to the window and saw Jake riding on Witch coming to her house.

"What the…" Sam's heart and mind were racing. She saw Jake get off Witch and start leading him to the pastures while talking to Pepper.

And just like that all of a sudden all her anger came rushing back ten times greater and she didn't want to talk to Jake anymore. She didn't even want to see him.

"Does Jake know what Quinn did? Is that why he is here?" Sam said still looking at Jake. Jake suddenly turned toward Sam's window and caught her looking at him. Their eyes were locked. No smiles. No tears. Poker faces on.

Sam broke off the eye contact and turned to look at herself in the mirror.

She was going to make Jake suffer.

Like he did to her.


	21. Risky Business

She quickly looked back to see if Jake was still looking. He was and so was Pepper. Pepper waved at her and she smiled back.

_Perfect._ She thought.

She went back to her closet and looked for her most curve hugging jeans she could find. She got out of her pajama shorts in the section of her room that she knew was still visible from where Jake and Pepper where standing. While she was putting on her jeans she used her peripheral vision to look out her window to make sure they were looking.

They were.

She slowly began to take off her pajama shirt and she tossed it onto the floor. There she was standing in nothing but a bra and jeans showing off her curvaceous body and toned stomach. Again using her peripheral vision she quickly glanced outside and saw that they were still watching. Pepper's face was redder than his hair and Jake's face was contorted into appreciation and anger.

_Good._ She thought.

Sam turned around and got a V-neck t-shirt on quickly. Then got a brush and started brushing her hair. She hardly wore it loose so she decided she would.

Samantha heard tires roll over the bridge leading into River Bend.

Sam looked at herself in the mirror and she could see her womanly figure accentuated in all the right places. Her hair shined and fell in natural waves around her. She smiled and headed downstairs.

Gram was still in the kitchen.

"Quinn is here. And so is Jake." Gram said turning her view once again from outside to Sam.

"How do I look?" Sam asked nervously. Gram was analyzing Sam.

"Well you do look good." Gram said looking deep into Sam's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked even more nervous.

"Nothing. You're a woman now. You definitely look like one." Gram chuckled. "Most of the times you act like one. And you will have to make mistakes like one." Gram said getting serious again.

"Huh?" Sam was confused.

"Nothing. Go have fun eating." Gram chuckled again. "You know what you're doing." Gram said and took a deep drink from her cup.

"Kay, bye Gram." Sam said and fastly went out the door. What her Gram said made her nervous. She saw Quinn, Jake, and Pepper huddled around the car talking.

She felt heat rush up to her cheeks as all three turned to look at her. Pepper clearly checked her out, Quinn's eyes popped a little, and Jake's face went from shocked to cowboy serious in a second.

After her little show in her room she was even more nervous of going up to all three of them.

_I shouldn't have done that. Bad idea. Well too bad, too late for taking it back._ She told herself.

She took a deep breath and then walked up to all three young men and smiled.

"Hey." Sam said looking at all of them.

"Hey." Quinn answered smiling.

"Hi." Pepper said without giving her eye contact.

Jake just nodded.

"So…" Sam said turning to Quinn. She really wanted to get out of there.

"So let's go. I'm starving." Quinn said smiling though his eyes showed nervousness.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked dead serious.

"To Clara's Diner." Quinn answered with a somewhat shaky voice. Pepper took a step back looking as confused as Samantha was. Jake didn't know.

"With?" Jake said again void of emotion.

"Me. Now can we go cuz I am also hungry you know." Sam said crossing her arms and showing off annoyance, or at least she hoped that's how she looked.

Jake stared at her she could see his face turn red in anger.

Everyone went silent.

"So are we going to go or not?" Sam turned to Quinn.

"Huh? Yea. Let's go." Quinn said as he went to go open the passenger door for Sam. Sam slid into Quinn's car and buckled her seatbelt. Jake stepped back to join Pepper as Quinn made his way around the front of the car and got in. Jake was staring at Sam. Sam could feel it.

Quinn turned on the car.

"Let's go then cuz I'm starving." Quinn said trying to ease up the tension that was still surrounding them. To add to the statement Quinn's stomach growled and Quinn's cheeks went a little pink though it was hard to tell with his dark skin.

Sam laughed causing the tension to disappear.

"You aren't kidding." Sam teased still laughing.

"Yea whatever." Quinn said smiling. Quinn turned the car around and they left River Bend laughing and teasing.

Still Sam was able to see through the rearview mirror a very confused, very angry Jake.


	22. Once Upon a Time

The ride over to Clara's was surprisingly fun. Sam never expected her and Quinn to be able to talk so comfortably about random subjects. It was very easy-going fun. Sam was surprised that an Ely brother was even able to be so laid back.

They walked into the diner and sat in the nearest booth still laughing. The waitress walked over and they ordered.

"You weren't kidding on how hungry you where huh?" Sam teased Quinn.

"Nop." Quinn smiled a lazy smile that was disturbingly close to Jake's tomcat smile that she loved so much.

_Jake. That's why I'm here._ Sam thought feeling somewhat confused and scared that she was able to forget. Sam was about to say something but Quinn beat her to it.

"So Jake has gone m.i.a. on you?" Quinn asked though it didn't sound like a question.

"Yea. Your mom called the house looking for him and he left and that's the last I heard or saw from him. Well until today." Sam said looking out the window.

"He seemed pissed." Quinn said casually.

"Well it could be because all of a sudden I'm hanging out with his brother." Sam said sarcastically.

"Nah. He was pissed before I got there." Quinn smiled. Sam felt her face heat up remembering why Jake would have been mad before Quinn got there.

"Maybe cuz I kinda did a striptease for Jake and Pepper." Sam whispered to herself; or so she thought. Quinn broke out in hysterical laughter.

"You what!" He said through his laughing.

"I changed right in front of the window." Sam said more embarrassed than she had ever been.

"So he's mad for being a peeping tom?" Quinn said smiling. "That doesn't make sense."

"Well I knew they were there. I also knew they were looking. That was kinda the point." Sam said looking down at her hands.

"Wow." Quinn said looking amused. "Well you're not the little annoying girl that would follow Jake around like a puppy." Quinn teased.

"Ugh. Whatever." Sam said exasperated. "I was just mad at Jake and I wanted him to be mad too. It was dumb. I shouldn't have done it. But whatever. What's done is done." Sam finished looking Quinn straight in the eye.

They're food arrived and thankfully Quinn started paying much more attention to his massive burger than Sam. Sam took a sip from her milkshake. They sat in silence for a while.

"So aside from stripping what else have you done?" Quinn said teasing.

"Can you just forget about that? Please?" Sam said rolling her eyes and trying to stop the blood from rushing to her cheeks. Quinn just smiled at Sam and took another bite from his burger.

"I won't forget. But I won't mention it again. In public." Quinn winked at her and laughed when Sam choke on her milkshake.

_In public? Does he mean he wants to hang out again? Alone?_ Sam started thinking frantically.

"So isn't there something you wanted to ask me?" Quinn said shaking Sam out of her thoughts.

"What's up with Jake?" Sam asked. Quinn looked down at his plate. "Quinn we had a deal. If it makes things easier I already know about Dana being here and Jake avoiding me just makes me think all kind of crazy things." Sam's voice went really silent at the end.  
"How do you know?" Quinn said a little louder than he should have.

"Does it matter?" Sam said trying hard to fight the wave of sadness that was threatening to overcome her.

"No. It doesn't." Quinn said seriously. He didn't know exactly what to say so might as well start at the beginning.


	23. The Calm Before the Storm

Quinn took a large drink from his soda before he began the story knowing perfectly well that if Jake ever found out he would be in deep trouble.

"Well?" Sam asked impatiently.

"Okay well you know up until the part where Dana got here right?" Quinn asked stating the obvious.

"Yeah." Sam answered in an almost whisper.

"Okay I can't really speak for Jake so I'm just going to tell you what I know." He paused and caught Samantha's eye.

 _She has beautiful eyes._ Quinn thought. _Jake really is stupid._


	24. The Truth

Before the stare could get uncomfortable Quinn began his story.

"Well me and Nate where watching t.v. and mom was in the kitchen. The rest where outside somewhere and well Jake was over at your place. And well we hear this knock on the door so Nate gets up to answer the door and I heard a girl's voice asking for Jake so of course I stood up and joined Nate at the door.

"Uhm no he is not in right now but I'm Nate and this is Quinn. We are his brothers. How can we help you?" Nate told her.

"Oh. I'm Dana. Jake's girlfriend." She smiled up at us and that's when mom came over.

"Girlfriend? Come in I'm Jake's mom." Mom told her and with that she walked inside and we all went to the kitchen.

"I'm guessing Jake never mentioned me?" She asked and none of us answered. "I thought so." She said a little too bitter but she laughed which confused me. With that Mom called Jake at your house and then Jake came over and when he came in he had the blankest expression I have ever seen. I don't even think my dad could beat that one.

"Hey Jake." Dana told him and he just grunted back and then everyone piled into the kitchen and practically attacked her with hellos and then next thing I know mom was kicking all of us out from the kitchen. So me, Bryan, Adam, and Nate went out back to listen through the window and well…" Quinn stopped.

"Well what?" Sam asked her stomach clenched up in knots. _This is bad. It's really bad._ Sam thought. Quinn hesitated.

"Well they where arguing and Jake told her that they had been over for a while and she said no one told her that and more stuff was said that I didn't really understand and somewhere in that Dana told Jake that." Quinn stopped again.

"That what?" Sam was almost about to cry.

"You know what let me pay and we'll go out for a ride and I'll tell you there." Quinn said starting to take out the money to pay and asking for the check.

"Just tell me." Sam almost yelled at Quinn. "Please." She softened her voice so much it would break anyone's heart. Including Quinn's.

Quinn reached across the table and grabbed Samantha's hand. Samantha froze. They stared at each other for a while.

"Trust me." Quinn said softly while he squeezed her hand. Sam just nodded.

Quinn paid and they both got up to go towards Quinn's car. Quinn opened Sam's door and then walked around to the driver's seat. Without saying a word he started the car and drove, Sam really didn't know where they where going and she really didn't care. Quinn stopped the car in 'the spot'. The spot was notorious for all the lovey-dovey stuff that went on; everything from g-rated to xxx. It was a secluded spot in the middle of the only densely forested area in that side of Nevada. People park there cars in the part near the end of the mountain in a place where the trees seem to magically disappear. It truly is a romantic spot. From up there you can sometimes see the wild horses gallop across and when the sun sets, like now, it can make anyone's heart melt.

Which is why Sam's eyebrows shot straight up. _Why on earth did Quinn bring me to THE SPOT!_ Sam's thoughts practically screamed right out of her.

"Don't worry. I'm not trying anything on you. It has its notorious reputation thanks to it also being a very secluded spot where people can't hear you. Understand?" Quinn smiled and got out the car. Sam stared blankly and still sat in the car with her seatbelt on. Quinn disappeared.

"BOO!"

"AHHHHHHHH!" Sam screamed so loud she was sure someone heard. Quinn was laughing really hard outside Sam's window and was still laughing when Sam finally got out hitting him.

"You a*hole." Sam said slapping his arm which probably hurt her more than him. They walked together to the edge and sat down in silence for a while.

"So. Can you tell me now?" Sam said her heart falling down to her stomach. Quinn took a deep breath.

"Sam the reason Jake went all awol on you was because. Damn I really shouldn't be the one telling you this it should be him." Quinn said looking down.

"Well obviously if I wait for him to tell me I'm going to be waiting till my deathbed. And that's if he even decides to show up." Sam said with anger and sadness all mixed together.

"Sam. Jake hasn't gone to see you because he doesn't know how to tell you. He doesn't want to hurt you. I know for a fact that he really, really likes you." Quinn said looking off into the distance.

"But." Sam said almost defeated.

"Well from his shoes it is really hard I mean he had already broken up with this girl, supposedly, and was finally getting things started with you and well either way you know you were going to get hurt because well if he avoided you you were going to get hurt and if he just manned up and went to tell you instead of having to find out through someone else like his brother" Quinn ranted.

"Quinn just tell me. I'm a big girl. I can handle it." Sam cut him off.

Quinn took a deep breath and turned around to look at Sam. Sam looked up and caught Quinns eyes and saw the bad news in them.

"Dana told Jake that she was pregnant."


	25. Crossing the Line

Sam blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked.

She couldn't seem to process this.

"You're joking." Sam said stoically.

"I wish I was." Quinn said holding Sam's hands.

Sam turned to stare at the sky her eyes burning with tears she was desperately trying not to spill.

"Sam?" Quinn asked tentatively squeezing both of Sam's hands in one of his own and grabbing her shoulder with the other one.

"Is it true?" Sam asked her voice threatening to break.

"Well Jake isn't one hundred percent sure it's not so I couldn't tell you. But I mean it's also true that if she was it could not be Jake's." Quinn said softly.

"But he can't full out say no right?" Sam said so low Quinn could barely hear her.

"Looks that way." Quinn said seriously.

And even though Sam had promised never to cry for him again, she did.

The tears just spilled down with ferocity. Her body shaked with the intensity of her grief.

Quinn scooted closer to her and pulled her into a hug and even though deep in her mind she knew this was wrong or at least a bad idea Sam allowed it because right then all she need was someone to hold her.

"Lie to me and tell me everything is going to be okay." Sam said in between sobs.

Quinn held her and lied while Sam cried. Quinn even dared to kiss the top of her head which made Sam cry harder.

"Sam its okay. Everything is going to be fine." Quinn said feeling really bad. Blaming himself for the broken girl he currently held in his arms. Sam stopped crying but instead of pulling back from Quinn's embrace she made herself even more comfortable. Quinn noticed and held her closer.

They stayed like that till the sun went down and even then neither showed any indication of moving.

"Quinn." Sam said her voice still a little shaky and dry.

"Yea?" Quinn asked his voice sounding distant, like if he was deep in thought.

"Thanks. For everything." Sam said as she got up and looked into his eyes.

"No need to thank me." Quinn said putting his hand over hers and smiling. That caught Sam off guard and her hand whipped to where there hands where. Quinn was about to apologize and take his hand off when Sam did something that surprised both of them, she put her other hand on top of his and squeezed.

"Samantha?" Quinn asked his voice shaky with confusion and surprise.

"Don't. Please just don't say anything." Sam said looking down to their hands. Quinn's hand felt warm, comforting. Like his embrace had. Though it didn't make Sam feel even half as Jakes touch or hug made her feel, it didn't necessarily feel bad, or wrong.

"Sam you're just. Your just confused and hurt and don't know how to react and." Quinn said more to himself than to Sam. This was wrong. But it felt right.

"I know." Sam said starting to trace random lines and circles on Quinn's arm with her fingertips making Quinn tremble. It was getting harder for him not to cross the line.

"Then don't do anything you might regret." Quinn said again more to himself. _Jake loves her. Your brother dude! Stop!_ Quinn yelled at himself.

"Quinn I don't want to think it's to confusing. This leaves me with only feeling. And that's too painful Quinn." Sam said taking her arm back and hugging her knees.

"I feel dumb. Betrayed. Hurt. Ugly. Played. Useless." Sam whispered. Quinn's reaction was to get closer to Sam and put his arm around her.

"Sam you're not dumb or useless. And you're definitely not ugly. Jake is just confused. He doesn't know what to do right now, but he loves you. A lot." Quinn said and something in his chest ached painfully at that fact.

"It doesn't feel that way." Sam said with anger as she got up and walked towards the truck. "It's late I have to go home." Quinn followed her and got in the truck. Before starting it he turned to look at Sam and found she was looking at him.

"Sam I really am sorry about everything. I just thought you had to know cus' well it wasn't fair for you not too." Quinn said practically stumbling over his words.

And then Sam let her body and heart take over and did something she probably would have never done had she been thinking.

She leaned in and kissed Quinn.

"Thanks." Sam said looking straight into Quinn's eyes which at the moment looked so much like Jakes that a fire exploded within her. Anger and pain was invading her body.

She leaned in and kissed Quinn with a little bit more force but Quinn wasn't responding. _Maybe he doesn't want to?_ Sam thought. Embarrassment was now mixing in with her anger and pain.

"Sam." Quinn was still in shock and trying to figure all this out. "Sam you love Jake and Jake loves you. He's my brother. This is wrong." Quinn was still trying to concentrate but he kept thinking of how soft Sam's lips felt.

"So. What he did was wrong too." Sam said looking out the window.

"Yes but.." Quinn started but was cut off.

"But what?" Sam stared hard into Quinn's eyes.

_This is so wrong._ Quinn thought as he leaned in and kissed Sam. Sam responded immediately and kissed Quinn back with fiery passion that the anger and hurt was causing within her. Quinn returned the urgency.

Sam's hand grabbed on to Quinn's' hair and Quinn grabbed on to Sam's hair.

It was wrong.

They both knew it.

But at the moment, it was worth the guilt.


	26. Brothers

Though nothing happened aside from some pretty intense kissing, it was still more than it should have. But she had found it hard to stop herself, especially once she had started. Quinn was the one that finally stopped the kiss saying that he'd better take Sam home before people started to worry. Sam just nodded and remained quiet the whole time. Quinn didn't speak either.

When she got home she noticed Jake was still there, and everything that had just happened, after everything she found out, she just couldn't take it anymore.

She said thank you to Quinn and got out the car without even giving Quinn the chance to blink and practically ran towards the house because she saw a very angry Jake heading her way. Once inside she raced to her room and locked herself in it. She could hear Brynna in the shower and her Gram had not been in the kitchen. So Sam went to her window and texted Jen to come over because this was serious. Then she sat down underneath her window to wait for Jen and hear the drama that had just began outside her window.

"What did you tell her?" Jake accused Quinn.

Silence.

"Quinn you pile of " Jake started but Quinn cut him off.

"Nothing okay." Quinn lied.

"Don't lie." Jake snarled at him.

"If anything don't you think you should man up and tell her yourself?" Quinn said in a defensive tone. "Instead of hiding like a scared little boy." He taunted.

Silence.

"Jake." Pepper's voice sounded tentative, like if he was asking a question.

"No let him." Quinn said sounding mad.

"Did you tell her?" Jake said through clenched teeth.

"So what if I did." Quinn challenged.

"It wasn't your thing to tell." Jake yelled at him.

"And it clearly wasn't your thing to tell, because like a week has passed and you have yet to even talk to her. What you'd rather she find out through someone like Rachel?" Quinn yelled back.

"What's going on here?" Dallas's voice asked.

"Nothing." Jake, Quinn, and Pepper said at the same time.

"Well it clearly looks like something." Dallas said.

"People don't know when something is none of their business and they should keep their big mouth out of it." Jake said bitterly.

"Well someone should be a little bit more of a man and accept their responsibilities and that includes telling the truth." Quinn said just as harshly.

"And both of you better start talking straight before I bring Wyatt into this." Dallas said sternly.

Silence.

"I'm serious." Dallas said again.

"I'll just leave. Sorry about this." Quinn said seriously.

Next thing Sam heard was a car engine starting and then a car going over the bridge.

_Jen hurry please._ Sam thought.


	27. Best Friends

"Say something!" Sam yelled at Jen.

Jen was still in shock over what Samantha had just told her. She couldn't believe that Jake could have gotten a chick knocked up.

"What was he thinking!" Jen finally said, seemingly more furious than what Sam had been. Sam just sat down, the sadness washing over her again.

"Ill tell you what he was thinking. He wasn't thinking. Or more exactly he wasn't thinking with the head that mattered." Jen spat out furiously.

"Hey! Don't be gross." Samantha frowned at her best friend. But honestly the comment made her laugh, in a bittersweet sort of way.

"Well its true." Jen grumbled.

"Well anyways, what do I do now. He still hasn't even tried to talk to me, he's been avoiding me every chance he gets. He might potentially be a future dad. There's this…girl…" Sam was talking when Jen cut her off.

"Samantha Anne Foster you were about to cuss. You were going to call her a…" Jen smiled at her best friend.

"But I didn't. Anyways point is I'm confused, I'm hurt, I'm angry and to top it all off I probably did the stupidest thing in the world today." Sam finished exasperated, her voice cracked, and the tears came down again.

"Hey, Sam don't cry. What could you have possibly done that is worse than what Jake is doing and potentially did." Jen said getting closer to her best friend and comforting her.

"I made out with Quinn." Sam whispered looking down to the floor. Jen's comforting pats stopped.

"You what!" Jen stood up and turned towards Samantha.

"I made out with Quinn. It just sort of happened. One minute he's hugging me telling me everything is alright and the next we are kissing." Samantha said between tears.

"Oh, Jen why is this happening to me. I wasn't doing anything wrong and now my whole life is…my whole life is fucked up." Sam said throwing herself on the pillow and began crying harder than she had ever cried before. Jen laid down next to her and just tried to be there and let her cry. Telling her it was going to be okay and that things would get better.


	28. Missed Calls

When Samantha awoke it was night time and she was disoriented. She looked at her alarm clock and it read 2:00 AM.

"What the..?" Sam shot up of bed. "2AM? When did I go to sleep? Why was I allowed to sleep for so long?" Sam was confused. She went to grab her phone and she had quite a few missed alerts.

Jen had called and left a voicemail.

"Hey Sam, its Jen I'm actually just leaving your house. Its like 8ish and your dead asleep. I told your Gram and Brynna that you've had a long day and probably just needed to sleep it off, you know rest a little. They seemed concerned but said okay. I don't know when you'll get this but I want you to know I'm here for you for whatever. Even if that means we got to get our hands dirty to you know take care of the problem I will. Ha ha. Jk sorta. Well I'll let you go I'm just sure that when you wake up your going to be confused and want to know what happened and just in case you wake up at some insane time I didn't want you waking me up so I left it in this voicemail. Beauty and brains. I'm a deadly combo. Ha ha. Bye Sam. Call me if you need anything."

Sam smiled. She had the bestest best friend anyone could ever ask for.

The next message was from Quinn.

"Hey Sam, its me Quinn. Uhm call me when you get the chance. We really should talk about…what happened. I just don't want things to get awkward and confusing. Please call me when you get the chance. Thanks. Bye."

Sam felt uneasiness wash over her. She remembered the kiss with a sickening delight but felt even more confused and didn't precisely want to deal with Quinn right now.

She had three missed calls from some unknown number. And one last message.

This message made her heart race, her head spin, and her stomach clench.

"Hello. I hope this is Samantha. I need to talk to you and please don't tell anyone I contacted you. This is very urgent. Call me back to this number as soon as you can. Oh by the way this is Dana."


	29. Fighter

Samantha stayed awake for hours. Wondering what she should do. This was just getting harder and harder. She couldn't catch a break. And to make things worse the man she loved was hiding from her. He couldn't even have the decency to let her know what was going on. He was no man. He was a coward. And he definitely didn't love her.

"Ugh! This is so frustrating!" Samantha grunted. She just didn't know what to do.

She didn't want to be in her house anymore. So she got up and went outside, to the river, like she had done so many times. He was waiting there for her. Her Phantom.

"Its like you knew I needed you, huh boy." Sam spoke to the Phantom. He didn't move and she didn't try to get near him. She just sat down and put her feet in the water. It felt nice to have to fresh water lap around her feet and the cool breeze hit her skin. It was a hot Spring night and Samantha was trying to enjoy it. It seemed like in this moment nothing mattered and nothing existed. She was there. Her horse was there. And her mom was there. She could feel her.

"Mom. What would you tell me? Would you say, 'Hey Samantha you need to go and talk to Dana and whoever else you need to talk to, to settles things.' Would you hold me and tell me everything's okay? You don't know how much I need you right now." Sam said staring into the water.

Her horse got closer to her. Close enough for her to touch. So she did, cautiously at first, but he didn't move or flinch away so she continued petting him. The breeze hugged her in a very comforting, motherly, way.

Her whole world was falling apart and here she was in the middle of the night standing in a river petting her runaway horse feeling her mother's presence through the breeze.

And then suddenly something clicked. She wasn't the angry, scared, confused Samantha she had been for the past days.

She knew what she was going to do.

She was going to fight for what she wanted.


	30. Mindset

Morning came. A new day was beginning and Samantha was ready for it. She was even sort of excited and she was just shaking with the anticipation. She got in the shower and thought of everything she was going to do today. Today was going to be the day where Samantha Foster didn't care what anyone thought anymore. She was going to fight for what she wanted and what she wanted was Jake. Even though he was being incredibly annoying and frustrating at the moment she loved him and she knew he was a good person.

"He's only human and we all make mistakes." She said allowed as she wrapped herself in a towel. She walked out of the bathroom and remembered a time not so long ago when she had walked out of the shower and her towel almost fell because Jake was there in the hallway.

Sam giggled as she got into her room and let the towel drop to the floor.

"That seems like forever ago, when things were nice and happy and I didn't have to worry because I had Jake again." Sam sighed and smiled bitter sweetly. She began getting dressed but this time she cared what she wore. If she was going to be confronting everyone she better look hot doing it.

Sam put on her best hip hugging jeans she could find, which happened to be the ones she took on her uhm date with Quinn, when she changed in front of the window. But this time she got a shirt that was tight all over and showed a section of her midriff if she moved too much. It was in an emerald green color which really helped bring out the color in her eyes and make her hair color stand out too. It also helped that it was in a sort of low-v cut and she showed quite some cleavage but not so much that she looked skanky. She put on a sweater and riding boots to make it seem like she wasn't trying to look sexy, it just sort of happened. She let her hair air dry that way it could get those natural waves that made it look like she was tumbling around in some barn. And did her make up in a way that made her look like she was a woman on a mission.

She gave herself one more look in the mirror and nodded her head.

"Good. Now let me get out of here before I loose my gut." Sam said and without looking back or even asking for permission she went downstairs, outside the house, towards the barn, saddled her horse up, and rode off.

She was going to pay a certain family a visit. Either way she saw it the three people she needed to talk to where there and one of them was bound to be there.


	31. Ready or not here I come

The closer she got the Ely's ranch the faster and harder her heart thumped. She hadn't really taken the time to think of what she was going to do or say. What if Jake was there? They hadn't talked in forever. Did he even know that Sam knew everything? What about Quinn? Would it be awkward? Probably. What if he tried to kiss her again? What if he didn't? How did she feel about him? What about her? Would she be angry? Would she be calm? What if they got in a fight? Did she even know how to fight?

"Ugh! I should have thought about this." Sam said to herself and she could see the ranch coming closer. Cars where there. Quinn's truck. A new car she'd never seen before, probably hers. And Jake's truck was there.

"Yay, just my luck there ALL here." Sam rolled her eyes and then closed them and took a deep breath. She felt a breeze hug at her again, which was funny because it wasn't a windy day. _Mom._ She thought and with that she regained herself and thought of a plan.

She stopped Ace and she knew that from where she was they couldn't see she was coming unless they were looking for her. She took out her cell phone and dialed.

"Hello?" A female's voice answered.

"Hello. Dana?" Sam asked cautiously

"Yes, who's this?" She asked cautiously as well.

"Hey, this is..this is Sam. You wanted to talk." Her voice got all tense.

"Oh yea, uhm yes I needed to talk to you. Hold on okay." Dana said hurriedly and then there was a long pause. "Okay hello."

"I'm here." Sam said her voice tight and forced.

"Where are you? I can go pick you up and we can go somewhere to talk." She said in a rushed whisper.

"I'm actually outside the Ely's ranch. I was calling to tell you to be ready because I want to talk to you too." Sam said her heart racing.

"Okay can you like wait outside or like hide and I'll meet you by my car or something. I don't want them to know I'm talking to you." She said her voice as tense as Sam's.

"Sure." Sam smiled and hung up the phone and continued riding her horse towards the Ely's ranch. She might not want them to know but I do.

Sam felt ready for whatever was going to happen, there was no turning back now.


	32. First Encounter

Sam hoped off of Ace and walked with purpose towards the Ely's front door. She took a deep breath and then gave a no nonsense knock on the door. Seth opened the door and looked like he just saw a ghost.

"Sam! Hi. What aaahh surprise. Jakes not here so you're..."

"I'm not looking for Jake." Sam said in a voice that seemed colder than she intended.

"Oh." He said and stared at her awkwardly, thankfully Quinn came to the door to.

"Sam! Hey, are you here for, I mean to…" Quinn started.

"Nop. I actually came because me and Dana are going to go out to eat." Sam said like is it was not a big deal and with a smile.

"No you're not." A familiar voice said behind the door and then another Ely brother came to see her.

"You know those weren't the first words I would have liked to hear from you, I was hoping for more of an 'I'm sorry' followed by your excuses for hiding away from me like if I was a pariah." Sam said in a matter of fact tone and gave Jake her best poker face. Jake, Quinn and Seth just stared at her, dumbfounded by her attitude.

"You're not gonna.." Jake started in a sort of whisper.

"You are not going to tell me what I can and cannot do. And as far as I'm concerned you are not even home, isn't that right Seth." She looked at Seth and he looked down. "So you couldn't possible know that I am even here let alone that I am going to go and have breakfast with Dana." Sam said her name slowly staring at Jake who couldn't stop looking at Sam. "So I'm sure when you get back from wherever you are at this moment one of your brothers will tell you what happened." Sam stared at Jake hard.

"I'm ready. Let's go." Dana said from behind the boys and Seth and Quinn quickly moved aside, it was Jake who took a little longer, but he moved and that's when Sam saw her and she saw Sam for the first time.

She was tall and very pretty. She had long blonde hair that fell like a beauty pageant queen's hair. Her eyes were a dark blue and her face was perfect. She wore a dress. She looked really girly. The dress showed off her thin frame, and for having such a thing frame she had an impressive chest which apparently she liked to show off.

Sam's stomach turned and she felt like she was going to throw up. _Damn! She's beautiful._ Sam thought and almost broke down crying and ran away forever, but another breeze hugged around her and she gained her confidence.

"Okay, let's go." Sam put her best acting face on and smiled up at her. Dana smiled back and said bye to Jake with a peck on the lips.

"Bye sweetie!" Dana said nonchalantly and walked past Sam towards her car.

"Yea, bye sweetie!" Sam smiled at Jake and walked after Dana.

As the car left the driveway, Sam looked in the rearview mirror and saw a very dumb stricken Jake, Seth, and Quinn.

Sam smiled.


	33. Words of Wisdom

Back in the Ely ranch, Jake, Quinn, and Seth went back into the house where the rest of the Ely brothers were sitting.

"Shut up." Jake said to no one in particular and sat down.

"Sam's not a little girl anymore. I'll say that much." Kit, the eldest Ely brother said staring at Jake."

"No." Jake said with no emotion. "This is your entire fault you know that Quinn." Jake said giving Quinn a death glare so intense that the rest of the brothers moved and positioned themselves in between him and Quinn.

"Relax. He's not going to do anything to me; he's not enough of a man to do anything. He'll just go hide like he did with Sam." Quinn said bitterly returning the same stare to him and Jake stood up but Bryan and Nate sat him back down.

"Let me go he deserves to get his ass kicked for having a big mouth." Jake shouted in anger.

"She already knew Dana was here smart ass." Quinn yelled back.

"How?" Jake said taken aback.

"I don't know she didn't say but she knew she was here and who she was too." Quinn said staring straightly at Jake.

"You know I know this isn't my place and it's not like I enjoy getting into your life little bro but I think you honestly messed things up. What did you think that everything was just going to go away if you ignored Samantha?" Bryan spoke with maturity.

"You're right it's not you place." Jake said bitterly looking to the ground.

"He's right you know. Samantha was one to never sit still and look it now she's off with your baby's mama…" Adam chimed in.

"Potential baby's mama." Bryan added looking at the way Jake's body tensed.'

"Whatever. Point is you knew Samantha was going to get sick and tired of just waiting around. She's not a little girl anymore I'm pretty sure she could have taken it. And you just hiding out wasn't solving anything. We all knew it and personally I'm sick and tired of lying to her and saying you're not here. What were you just going to let the months pass by without talking to her, without even a damn explanation? A man faces his problems head on not hides away…" Adam said feeling embarrassed at his little brother. The rest of the Ely brother's were nodding their heads and Jake looked like he was going to kill someone.

"Enough." A strong, deep voice said from the hallway.

"Dad." Seven voices said in unison.

"I would like to talk with Jake in private." Luke Ely said with a serious tone and all the Ely brothers except Jake filed out of the room and went outside.

"Dad…" Jake started but Luke raised his arm.

"I want you to listen." Luke started. "Now you know I don't like to get into your personal lives, you're a man now and usually act like one. I especially never want to get into your romantic lives." Luke said looking uncomfortable. "But I feel like this time I have to because this situation doesn't just affect you. Now I always knew you and Sam, well there was something there, and she's a good girl. I don't know much about you and this girl Dana but it is obvious you don't like her. But if she is pregnant with your child, as much disappointment that would bring me I'm sure you'll be a man and take responsibility for the child. But remember the child is your responsibility, not the women. Now if she is the mother of your baby you must show her respect but that does not mean marriage, or love, or anything. It means you are there to support her in what she needs and help her with the baby. Don't ruin your happiness because of this false sense of responsibility for that woman. And as far as you hiding from Samantha, well Adam was right. You're a man now and as far as Samantha is concerned you've been acting like a boy because you keep thinking Samantha is still a little girl. Well I have news for you. As Wyatt reminds everyone that will listen, she's grown up to be a tough, independent woman, and though she's young she is obviously mature enough to be able and have a conversation with her boyfriend's pregnant ex-girlfriend." Luke finished his wisdom setting inside Jake's head. Luke got up and left Jake there to think about everything that had happened in the past days.

Jake felt the weight of his mistakes overcome him and two lonely tears ran down his face. He needed Samantha in his life, he just wasn't complete without her.


	34. Conflicts

The car ride was, well,

_Awkward._ Sam thought.

Dana's car was sleek, very clean. Intimidating.

Dana was flipping through the channels until she found something she liked.

"Your town doesn't really have much popular music does it." She commented.

"No, not really." Sam answered.

"Not much of a talker are you." Dana said. "Reminds me a lot of Jake."

Sam sat up a little straighter. Dana smirked.

"So where do you wanna eat?" She asked.

"Clara's Diner is closest but there is a mall like forty minutes from here they have fast food places." Sam offered.

"Mmm…" Dana trailed off. She then suddenly took a turn on the road. At first Sam was very confused and very scared. And then the road became familiar.

"Uhm Dana." Sam started.

"Yes?" Dana asked innocently.

"Nothing." Sam chose to ignore the fact that they were heading to "the spot" instead of to Clara's diner or something, but whatever she wasn't even hungry.

Dana stopped the car and got off. After some seconds Sam got off to and followed.

"Do you know how to walk back from here?" Dana asked still staring off into space.

"It's long and tricky but yea. Why?" Sam asked

"Just wondering." Dana said in a way that made something inside Sam feel funny.

There was silence. After a while Dana turned around and got in the car. Sam followed. Dana turned the car around and headed back towards the Ely ranch.

"You can't have him." Dana said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked confused.

"Jake. You can't have him." Dana said matter of factly. Sam just stared at her. Dana turned around, a scary look on her face.

"Jake. Is. Mine." She paused after every word. "So back off." Dana said her eyes forming into slits. Sam stood there dumbfounded and Dana made a movement to walk back to the car.

"As far as I know you don't own him." Sam said strongly.

"Oh yes I do." Dana said as she turned around. "See I'm pregnant which means Mr. Responsible Jake has no other choice but to stay with the mother of his child." Dana said triumphantly.

"You don't even love him." Sam said she could feel the tears forming but she held her ground.

"Oh poor child, you still believe in love." Dana said with a dismissive laugh. "Listen up. You are going to leave Jake alone, no better yet you are going to tell him you don't love him at all and then leave him alone, and you're going to spend the rest of your pathetic little life hearing about Jake and Dana. Got it." Dana said her eyes glowering. Sam could see the Ely ranch in the distance. "Oh and tell anyone about our little conversation and you'll regret it. You and your family will be homeless once I'm through with you." She said all this with a perfectly fake smile since they were in clear view of most of the Ely brothers who were standing outside. As Sam got out of the car Quinn and Jake walked out of the house.

After his talk with his son Luke went outside and looked at Quinn. Quinn understood and walked towards his father. Before Quinn could start speaking Luke stopped him.

"It wasn't your place to say anything. Though Jake was wrong but so where you." With that Luke left towards the barn.

Quinn went inside to find a very serious Jake.

"I'm sorry." They both said in unison.

"Look it wasn't like I planned to tell. It's just." Quinn didn't know what to say. _It's just I can't bare to see the girl I like being hurt like that by my idiot brother._

"You like her." Jake said as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. Quinn turned red and looked down.

"You know I would never want to do anything to hurt you, I mean you're my brother." Quinn started. _Should I tell him?_

"But?" Jake braced himself for what he knew was going to be said.

"But I kissed her." Quinn said bracing himself for his younger brother's anger. But instead Jake just looked even more distraught.

"Jake?" Quinn asked cautiously. Nothing. "Jake, man, say something!" Quinn said exasperated.

"What's there to say? It's not like if I can even get mad. I deserved this. "Jake said utterly defeated. Quinn sat down.

"Look man if you still want Samantha then fight for her, be with her, I'm sure she'd understand, probably even be a step mom if she had to, I'm, well, I'd." Quinn hesitated. "Well I'd back off and pretend like nothing happened, say it was a spur of the moment." He finished.

Jake looked at him. "How can I be with someone knowing that my brother likes them?"

Quinn stared back. "How can I let you be with someone knowing that you love someone else?"

They both heard a car. They looked at each other and walked outside. As they got outside they saw Sam and Dana walking back towards the house.

Sam was pissed off. _How dare her! Threaten me like that! Who does she think she is! Little girl? I'll show her little girl!_

Sam walked straight up to Jake, with Dana by her side and before Dana could even speak, in front of all the Ely brothers Sam…

_(im just being mean!_ ;] _anyways lets continue_ )

Sam grabbed Jake and pulled him down to her and kissed him like she's never kissed anyone before. Jake was so dumbfounded and so happy that he kissed back without even thinking about it. The kiss didn't last long. Just as fast as Sam did it she broke it off and walked back towards her horse.

"BITCH!" Dana cussed at Sam, her face turning red.

"Bite me." Sam said without even turning around. Got on her horse and left back towards home. Leaving behind a pissed off Dana, a confused Jake, a heart broken Quinn, and some very amused Ely's.


	35. Decisions

Back at home Sam looked furious.

"The nerve of her!" She said exasperated as she plopped herself on a kitchen chair.

"Of who sweetie?" Grandma asked returning from the living room.

"Oh." Sam said startled. "No one." She added quickly.

Gram gave her a knowing look but said nothing.

"Okay well then help set the table for dinner." She said to Sam.

The rest of the family piled in and they had a pretty uneventful dinner, except for all the events that were going on in Sam's head.

Back in the Ely ranch Dana was snapping at Jake, yelling at him for kissing her back.

Quinn had slipped out and headed towards the rest of the Ely brothers.

"Yea for sure Sam is not a little girl anymore." Adam said staring at the comical scene a couple of yards away.

"She's ballsy." Bryan added.

The Ely brothers nodded in agreement.

"So what did you and Jake talk about?" Kit asked Quinn.

"Stuff." Quinn said with a tone that said Please stop asking me cuz I aint gonna tell you.

Dana stormed into the room and a dejected looking Jake walked towards his brother. They stared at each other.

"So what are you going to do?" Kit asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know." Jake whispered.

"Well Sam still likes you." Adam said jokingly, earning some chuckles.

"But what about Dana?" Bryan chimed in, bringing the morale down.

"What about her? She aint right for Jake, she's too…"Quinn started but couldn't find the right word.

"Prim and proper?" Kit offered.

"Stuck-up?" Nate added.

"Uptight?" Adam finished.

"She reminds me of that Rachel chick, only slightly less annoying." Seth told his brothers. They nodded in agreement.

"Well I guess whatever happens I'm still going to have to talk to Sam." Jake said sounded defeated.

The Ely brothers nodded.


	36. Apologies

Jake Ely got off his horse and took a deep breath before walking over to River Bend Ranch's kitchen door. He could hear dishes clattering.

Sam was washing dishes trying to calm down when she heard a horse coming over the bridge. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw who was walking up to her front door.

She heard a knock at the door. Her gram, who was clearing the table, went to answer it.

"Oh hello Jake. What a pleasant surprise. Haven't seen you around here for a while." She said making Jake feel guiltier than he did already.

"Uh is Sam around?" He asked rubbing his neck with his hand.

"Sure she's right here come on in." Gram said as she moved a little to let Jake into the house.

Jake stared at Samantha who was trying her hardest to not turn around. She was scraping the already spotless dish diligently.

"Well I'll let you two talk." Gram said retreating into the living room. Neither Sam nor Jake spoke. They heard Gram going up the stairs.

"Sam?" Jake said cautiously.

"What?" Sam said coldly, not turning to look at him.

"Sam, I'm sorry." Jake said apologetically.

"For what?" Sam said even colder, still continuing to wash dishes.

"For everything." Jake said. He took a deep breath and continued, "For leaving without saying anything. For not offering any explanations. For avoiding you. For hiding Dana and what happened. For, well for just everything."

Sam rinsed her hands as she finished the last plate.

"Thirsty?" Sam said looking at Jake for the first time. Jake looked dumbfounded.

"Huh. Uhm No." He finally stumbled. "Sam?" Jake asked taking a step closer towards her.

"What were you expecting Jake?" Sam said staring straight at Jake with unwavering eyes, voice steady. "That you were just going to come here say sorry and I was going to say everything's okay and that I forgive you? Before I can even consider forgiving you, you owe me a lot of explanations so sit down and listen." Sam said crossing her arms. Jake sat.

"You still haven't told me how you even ended up with a maybe pregnant ex-girlfriend? Is she even an ex-girlfriend? And what if she really is pregnant? What are you going to do then? You also haven't told me why you were hiding? Did you think the problem was just going to go away if you didn't talk about it? I need explanations NOT apologies. So when you're ready to be honest you let me know for now at least I really don't care for apologies." Sam finished though she never once raised her voice or tear up. Jake sat quietly looking into Sam's eyes.

"So since you obviously don't have the answers right now I think its best you leave. " Sam said as nonchalant and cold as she could. She could see Jake's hurt expression.

Jake just nodded and got up he started for the door when Sam spoke.

"Oh and by the way I appreciate that you came and apologized and I know you're sorry. It's just sometimes sorry isn't good enough." She said softly.

With that Jake left, though it didn't go as planned there was hope.


	37. Dirty Little Secrets

"Where are we going?" Jen whispered.

"You'll see!" Darrell whispered smiling from ear to ear.

Jen hear horses. Darrell had made them leave there's a little while back so it couldn't be there's.

"Darrell, can you take this stupid blindfold off!" Jen spoke in her normal voice.

"Shhh!" Darrel scolded. "And no." He chuckled. Jen grumbled.

"We're almost there stop complaining." Darrell said softly.

They walked a little bit longer. Jen heard a horses neigh. Then Darrell stopped her.

"Okay hold on." Darrell said. "And DON'T take the blindfold off." Darrell warned her.

"I wasn't gonna." Jen said disgruntled. Darrell chuckled. Jen heard something and then a musty smell hit her, but it wasn't a bad smell in fact it smelled like something she knew she just couldn't put her nose on it. Darrell grabbed her arm and guided her, he let go and then Jen heard another noise with a thud.

"Okay now where are we it smells like…" Jen started and before she could finish Darrell took the blindfold off.

"A barn." They both said at the same time.

"Why did you bring me to a barn?" She said while looking around and then recognized said barn. "Okay let me rephrase, why did you bring me to the Ely's barn? You know I have one in the ranch?" Jen looked at him baffled.

"I know, BUT your dad has a hawk's eye view whenever me and you are together at your place AND won't ever let you go to mine SO I thought we could use some alone time." He said with a mischievous smile as he stalked towards Jen. Jen laughed nervously and began walking backwards.

"Hehehe and why the Ely barn?" Jen said nervously.

"Well it's the only one I feel somewhat confident breaking into cuz I know it better and I figured with all the drama going on in the actual house no one's gonna come to the barn anytime soon." Darrell said grabbing Jen by the arm and pulling her closer. As he leaned in for a kiss they heard a voice coming from the outside. It sounded like a girl voice, to high and shrill to be Mrs. Ely's.

Darrell and Jen stood frozen, until all of a sudden Darrell grabbed Jen and pulled her into one of the horse stalls. The voice got clearer as the owner got in the barn.

"Hold on mom." The voice said. Darrell and Jen saw the back of a tall girl with long blonde hair as she closed the barn doors behind her.

"Okay." She said turning around.

"That's Dana." Darrell whispered to Jen.

"No mom I'm not really pregnant." Dana said nonchalantly. Darrell and Jen looked at each other with shocked expressions.

"Well I'm here to get pregnant. Duh." Dana said condescendingly.

"I don't know how but it's going to happen don't worry." Dana said smiling.

"My plan?" Dana repeated and looked thoughtful. "Well I don't know, seduce him maybe. Whatever I do he will marry me and I will have a kid." She said determined.

"Don't worry mom, I'll take care of her." Dana started and was cut off by her mom on the opposite side of the call.

"Look I tried okay, I took her on a little car ride and told her to back off basically. I might have threatened her farm but the little b*tch obviously didn't care because she kissed him mom." Dana said whiningly, "In front of me!" She complained. There was a pause.

"Okay." She said looking down. Darrell and Jen could hear the screams from her mom from where they were.

"Okay mom, bye." Dana said quietly and hung up the phone. She began walking towards the barn door when someone sneezed.

Jen glared at Darrell. Darrell looked at her apologetically.

"She's coming" Jen whispered. They both looked panicked. They heard her getting closer.

Jen jumped on Darrell and began making out with him. Darrell was extremely shocked and extremely happy.

"What are you two doing?" Dana looked at them suspiciously. Jen broke the kiss.

"What does it look like we are doing." She said like it was no big deal and got up. Darrell still was in a daze sitting on the floor.

"Did you two hear my conversation?" Dana said angrily.

"Maybe bits and pieces." Jen said staring into the eyes of her enemy calmly. Darrell finally got up.

"Aren't you Samantha's little friend?" Dana asked smiling mischievously.

"So what if I am?" Jen asked coldly.

"Means I'm pretty sure your dad wouldn't like to know that his precious little daughter was tramping around with some low life." Dana said looking at Darrell dismissively.

"What makes you think he'll believe you?" Jen said.

"I have my ways." Dana said triumphantly.

"It wouldn't be the first relationship she's ruining with lies." Darrell said harshly.

"And you what would your precious little adoptive family say when you were responsible for burning down there barn?" Dana said pulling out a lighter and turning it on. Jen was about to jump at her when Darrell stopped her. Dana chuckled.

"You two aren't going to say anything to anyone because if you do I'll ruin your lives as well." Dana said with a smile and with that she walked out of the barn.


	38. Guilt

Sam plopped down on the closest chair and exhaled.

"You shouldn't be so hard on him. Men make mistakes too you know." A familiar voice said.

Sam stiffened. She'd expect this statement to come from Brynna, maybe even Gram but not, "Dad!" She exclaimed.

Wyatt Forster sat down next to his daughter. He had heard the exchange between Samantha and Jake and though there where many horrible painful things he wanted to do to Jake, many embarrassing questions he wanted to ask Sam because if he got a girl pregnant already he didn't want it to become two, many appraisals for her daughter who showed to be so strong even when it seemed all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball. But he was a cowboy. And a cowboy only said what was necessary, and depending on who the person was, maybe, just maybe a little bit more.

"Samantha." He acknowledged her.

"Uhm. How much did you hear?" Samantha asked nervously, worried as to how much her dad knew of the situation she was in.

"Enough." He answered her.

"Then if you heard enough, why SHOULDN'T I be so hard on him. He deserves it." Sam spoke the words before she could think. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk to you like that." Sam apologized.

"It's alright. But even if he is a dumb boy for getting in this situation, because even if she is or isn't pregnant, if he has doubt that means that he's done some dumb things out there in college," Wyatt was about to tell Sam the dangers of college but retracted immediately, too embarrassing and also not what was important at this moment. He sighed and continued.

"The point is that you are growing up and you will learn that not everything is black and white Samantha. There are grey spots. Spots that are not easy to explain, that may not always be a good thing but it's the right thing and vice-versa it may not always be a right thing but it's a good thing. You will make big mistakes to Samantha. That's how love is sometimes. You do things to protect someone, when that person never asked for protection," He said as he looked out the window, a far off look in his eyes. "But not giving someone a chance to make up for their mistakes and maintaining your pride now that is something that can leave you tossing and turning until your grams age." He tried to lighten the mood. Sam smiled.

"I heard that." Gram said as she walked into the kitchen, giving her son a death glare. Sam outright laughed at her dad's face.

_It feels good to laugh._ Sam thought to herself. She hadn't truly laughed.

"But he is right you know." Gram continued sitting in the chair next to Wyatt. Sam looked at her feet. "Jake is a dumb boy and he was wrong for hiding but that doesn't mean he did anything with an intention, his coming, though a little late, proves that he wants you to forgive him, he just doesn't know how to deal with this situation. And Samantha, don't be selfish, because as much as you are hurt by this, imagine how he is feeling."

Samantha looked out the window. She hadn't once thought about this through Jake's eyes. She felt a little guilty.

"Darling, we're not saying to forgive him all at once. I'm asking that for your sake, you ask yourself if it will really be worth the guilt you will have to carry with you because you never gave him a true chance to redeem himself." Brynna joined the crowd in the kitchen.

_Okay this is getting a tad bit ridiculous. And also awkward. I don't need my WHOLE family giving me love advice!_ Samantha screamed in her head. But she knew they were right, and it felt nice not feeling alone.

"Thank you." She finally said, turning around to smile at her family. They smiled back. "I'm going to go to the barn." Sam said and walked out the kitchen door.

Wyatt and Brynna stared at each other and sighed.

"I have a private phone call I wish to make." Gram stated with a quiet tremor daring anyone to ask her about it or defy her. Wyatt and Brynna looked each other again, this time perplexed, but nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

Gram headed to the phone on the wall of the kitchen and dialed.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Ring._

"Hello?" A women's voice came from the telephone.

"Hello Maxine, this is Grace. Are you busy?" Gram answered.

"Grace, hello." She said cheerfully. "And no. Actually Im glad you called, I do think we need to talk." Maxine Ely answered.

Gram dragged a chair towards her and sat on it. It was going to be a long talk.

* * *

Sam sat down next to Ace.

Ace looked at her and went back to grazing.

"What you aren't going to tell me to forgive Jake?" Sam looked at Ace accusingly.

Ace looked at her again. Sam stared back.

"He hurt me you know." Sam said defensively, but it sounded to her more like a little girl whining.

Ace turned to his food again.

"I bet he's hurt too. I mean if he loves me.."Sam started. "If? I've gotten so screwed up that I doubt the one thing that had kept me going through this." Sam said tears beginning to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Ugh!" She yelled, punching the ground. Ace startled and added distance between them. Ace stared at Sam; she could almost see him staring angrily at her for disturbing his peace.

"Sorry." Sam said to him. It seemed that Ace understood her apology, because he seemed content enough to gallop back to her, closing the space.

Sam laughed at the irony.

"You didn't need an explanation, huh boy." Sam stood to stroke him. "Sorry WAS good enough for you."

She suddenly felt overwhelmingly tired.

It had been a long day, too many emotions going through her head; she headed in doors to her bedroom. She stripped off her clothes and fell asleep in her bra and underwear, too tired and not really caring to put on pjs.

Sam let the darkness surround her, maybe her dream world will help her figure things out.

* * *

Darrell and Jen stood there. Dumbfounded.

Jen snapped out of it first.

"That Bit..!" She started to yell and run after her but Darrell put a hand over her mouth shushing her.

"Ow!" He exclaimed when she bit him. "Why'd you do that?" Darrell asked hurt.

"I'm sorry but if you think I'm just going to sit around and let her tell me what to do!" Jen started pacing, Darrell took three steps back. "Threaten us! Ha! She doesn't know who she's messing with." Jen said bordering crazy. Darrell looked scared.

"Let her tell my dad! Who cared?" Jen continued her ranting, but at this statement Darrell paled, and barely audibly whispered, "I do." Jen heard this and stopped.

"You would put our relationship over our friend's." Jen said cold as ice.

"What you are basically saying Jen is give up our relationship for the survival of another relationship. Don't we deserve to be happy too?" Darrell said, feeling guilty for being selfish, but he wouldn't lie to Jen for her to think he's something he's not. He can be selfish. Sue him.

Jen looked dumb founded for the second time in less than an hour.

It took her a while but she finally answered.

"Yes. We do." Jen stated.

"Then, why is there a 'but' coming?" Darrell asked.

"Because. If my dad finds out, so what, that's not going to stop me from being with you." Although she was never good with words or feelings or guys, here she was mixing up all three. "My dad will just have to get over the fact that his little girl is growing up. And though I would rather him not find out about us this way, with us sneaking off to fool around he has to find out eventually. And though I would feel guilty for hurting him, I think I would feel even guiltier seeing both Jake and Sam suffering when I know there is a way to stop it. My dad's reactions are all guesses. We don't know. But we DO know Dana isn't pregnant." Jen said softly but with conviction. She felt guilty for putting Darrell in this situation because she DID know how her dad would react and she also DID know that the guilt she'd feel because of her dad would only add strain and eventually break them apart. She started crying.

Darrell grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. She continued crying.

"I hate Dana." Jen said. Not just because of what she was doing to her friends, but of what she was doing to her and Darrell.

"Me too." Darrell whispered, fearing that he would have to let go of Jen so soon. He barely just discovered he had feelings for her, strong ones, and now he would have to put them on the line. He was a different guy when he was alone with Jen, and he liked that guy. Though he didn't cry his eyes were sad.

"What do we do?" Darrell asked Jen.

"What guilt is worth it?" Jen answered.

They stared at each other and they already knew the answer. They nodded.

Darrell leaned in to give her a gentle, chaste kiss. Jen blushed.

Hand in hand they walked out of the barn.


	39. I'll Huff and I'll Puff

Darrell walked towards the Ely house. Jen had long since rode off towards River Bend.

"Hey Darrell" Dana said menacingly, or at least it sounded that way to him. "What a surprise? What brings you out here?" Dana said, her voice mocking him.

Darrell ignored her and turned to Adam.

"Is Jake home?" Darrell asked.

"Why do you need him?" Dana asked eyes narrowed, "I'd be happy to leave him a message." It was a threat and it sounded like one.

"Uh. No. He's not." Adam answered Darrell, the animosity between Dana and Darrell had not gone unnoticed.

"I said what did you want with him." Dana said through clenched teeth. She had worked to hard to get to where she was now for him and Jen to ruing it; if they didn't take her seriously she'd show them how big of a mistake that was.

Darrell ignored her again. The Ely brothers were gathering up, getting closer to watch this exchange of words.

"Is that hay in you hair?" Dana asked using her most innocent smile ever, "I didn't know you had a barn? I though you live in town. Which reminds me how did you get here? Its a long walk, and you brought no car." Dana asked innocently.

Darrell could see the faces of the Ely's, wondering as well.

"Yea, how did you get here?" Quinn asked seriously perplexed. Dana smiled victoriously.

"I was at Jen's. Samantha called her so she dropped me off here." Darrell lied smoothly. Dana glared.

"Did you make a quick detour at the barn?" Dana teased, her tone implying things. The Ely's again looked surprised.

"I mean that Jen girl looks easy with low standards but I doubt as low as you." The way she said this made everyone shudder, how can something so vindictive and rude sound so sweet and bubbly. It confused them.

"I may not be able to hit a girl but I know Jen wouldn't mind knocking you around after what you said." Darrell had had enough. Dana could do whatever the hell she wanted but she was not going to get away with this.

"You wouldn't hit a pregnant women would you?" Dana asked so innocently it made some of the Ely brothers shift to protect her. Hate her or not they had morals.

"From what I hear you ain't pregnant. And as far as women I'd say you are more of a snake." A certain female voice shimmed in.

Everyone froze.

"What!" Another familiar voice, this time a deeper huskier voice, exclaimed.

Dana felt her world crashing around her. She was panicking.

Dana was looking at an auburn haired girl sitting on a horse, to her right a blonde on another horse, smiling wickedly at her.

She turned to where the man's voice came from.

There he was, and he has heard what that b*tch had said. They all had.

"Excuse me?" Dana said appearing dumb founded.

"You heard me." Sam said getting off her horse. Jen did the same.

"I don't know what little delusions you are holding on too little girl but I am pregnant and Jake's the father!" Dana screeched.

"You look ridiculous you know that." Jen spat at her.

All the men stepped away. Everyone know when girls start fighting, don't get caught in the middle, you will get shot and it will hurt.

"You looked even more ridiculous throwing yourself at this low life in the Ely's barn." Dana spat right back. The guys looked at Darrell, Darrell said nothing.

"Well good thing I was because then I would never had over heard you telling your mom that you weren't pregnant and still couldn't GET pregnant because Jake over there refused to touch you let alone sleep with you." Jen said mockingly.

Jake shocked on his spit. Everyone else looked flabbergasted. This was getting ugly, quick.

"You are going to let her fight all your fights." Dana looked at Sam.

"No. This is her fight too. You threatened her and Darrell." Sam said matter of factly.

They were exposing her for what she was. Dana was giving them ammo. She stayed quiet.

"This stress isn't good for the baby." She feigned looking sick.

"I study acting. And you are a shitty actress." Sam said again non-chalantly. Dana glared at her.

This was getting uglier, but it was getting interesting. None of the guys made to stop this from unraveling, not even Jake.

"Samantha I am pregnant. You may be holding on to this delusion that if I'm not pregnant that means something but Jake is obviously believing me and that's for a reason you know." Dana said with the same tone Sam had used, implications dripping from her words.

Low blow.

"I'm not stupid enough to think you guys haven't had sex. Obviously for him to believe such a stupid lie you would have had too. But then again even if you were pregnant, can you prove its his?" Sam said, her smile was deadly.

"What are you implying?" Dana said eyes flaring.

"I'm not implying anything, I think your 'baby' is making you delusional." Samantha said with concern and innocence. Dana was taking aback, she was confused, didn't Sam not believe her about her pregnancy?

"See that's acting Dana." Sam said again, and laughed. She actually laughed at her.

Dana made for her throat but Jen's words stopped her.

"What about your baby?" Jen teased.

Dana glared.

_What do I do? What do I do?_ She asked herself.

And with that Dana burst out crying.

The sobs made the boys come back to reality and make a move to stop this nasty catfight.

Sam turned and glared at them daring them too move. They stopped.

"Get up, you're making a fool of yourself." Sam said cold and heartless. Dana looked at her.

"If you really want to shut me up prove it to all of us." Sam finally said, throwing Dana a box.

Dana held the box. A pregnancy test.

"Where'd you get this from? You've had scares yourself." Dana said all pretense of innocent girl blown away.

"No, I'm not you. And that is also none of your business." Sam said voice calm.

"You are crazy if you think I'm going to disgrace myself to do this." Dana said and then turned to Jake, "And you, you coward, how dare you allow her to talk to me like that and make me go through this embarrassment in front of everybody. Are you going to make me go through this?" Dana said accusation and hurt in her eyes.

Before he could respond a car rolled in and out stepped Maxine Ely, Grace Forster, and a doctor from the hospital Gram volunteered at.


	40. And I'll Blow your plans down

They all sat waiting. The sound of the clock was the only thing heard. Luke and Maxine, Seth Adam, Kit, Bryan, Nate, Darrell and Jen, Grace, Quinn, Sam and Jake waited.

And waited.

Time seemed slower.

And waited.

Jake was sweating.

And waiting.

Sam was nervous.

And,

_Creak_

The creak from the Ely's upstairs bathroom.

Everyone jumped. Well everyone except Luke, Maxine, and Grace.

Grace and Maxine gave each other a knowing look. Maxine then turned to Luke.

"Boys, come with me, we have to finish fixing the fence before the night ends." Luke stood and walked out the door, his seven boys behind him.

"Stay." He said without a name, but everyone knew to whom it was addressed. Jake sat down again

"Jen, your mom called me before I came over, looking for you, she was worried." Grace said staring at both Jen and Darrell. They got the hint and left.

Gram stood up and walked outside, Maxine followed behind.

There they were Jake and Sam. Alone. Waiting.

They heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

They both stood as the doctor came into view.

The silence seemed endless.

" _What are Gram and Mrs. Ely doing together? And why'd they bring a doctor?" Sam had thought_. _"If you won't take a pregnancy test then can we at least make sure your baby is alright, I mean it would be my grandchild and I care about its safety." Mrs. Ely had said, though they way she said it made Sam want to smile. "Does she know?" Sam thought again._

The Doctor turned to Jake and Sam and began to speak.

_Dana looked like she was going to throw up for real. The doctor would check on the 'baby' and if there was no baby to check on he would tell us. They all knew. Luke rode in and got off his horse. He stayed quiet at the scenario in front of him. "Come." The doctor instructed Dana and made to enter the house._

"She…

_Dana followed, looking defeated, and very very sad. Although Sam was happy because this was what she wanted, for everyone to know how horrible Dana was. "Then why do I feel kind of bad?" She thought to herself as she saw her face._

"Is….

_Dana and the Doctor headed upstairs and everyone else filed in to the living room and began to wait. They all wanted to know if she was or wasn't pregnant._

"Not pregnant." The doctor told Jake and Sam.

Upstairs they could hear muffled crying.

* * *

Sam was ecstatic at the news. So was Jake. But the crying they could hear ruined the moment.

"Go." Sam told Jake. Jake nodded and walked upstairs.

Sam sat back down on the sofa. She could hear the car roll away. She could hear hammers working hard. She felt a small gust of wind envelop her. _Mom?_ If it was or wasn't didn't matter. It gave her strength nonetheless. She was happy Jake was his now and only his and after this experience they're relationship would only get stronger. She felt a little ashamed at her confrontation with Dana earlier, but that still didn't mean that she had forgiven Dana for what she caused her, but it also didn't mean that she was heartless.

"You wanna laugh at me go ahead that's fine." Dana said bitterly to her.

Sam stood up and faced her.

"No I don't." Sam said finally.

"Gloating is beneath you I see." Dana spat, "You beat me."

"I wasn't trying to beat you. I was trying to keep the love of my life." Sam said softly.

They stood there.

"Why?" Sam finally asked.

"You wouldn't understand." Dana said sighing.

And with that she got her bags and walked outside, heading to her car.

Even though Sam hated her, she admired her strength. She walked out of that house and out of their lives just like she came in. Unexpected, strong, confident, and with a purpose. What that purpose was scared Sam but she wasn't going to worry about it now. For now, she wanted to be with Jake.


	41. Forever and Always

Sam made her way upstairs. Now that she thought about it, it had been a while since she had been in Jakes room. She finally reached Jake's door and opened it. She found him sitting on the bed, face in his hands. Sam just leaned on the door frame and waited for him to react. Jake finally looked up, not staring at her. She waited for a while, giving him time to settle all his thoughts.

"So…" Sam started after what seemed ages of silence.

"Sam." Jake looked at her with an intensity she never knew existed, his eyes spoke everything he wanted to say but didn't know how to express in words.

They walked to each other quickly, closing all the unwanted space between them. It had been far too long since they had embraced each other. Far too long since they had tasted each other's sweet kisses. Far too long since they had been able to love openly and freely.

For the first time in a long time, Sam and Jake gave way to their love; they embraced and kissed each other ferociously. They knew what it was to be so close to losing each other, so close to having everything they ever wanted and needed to be happy be ripped away from them and they planned on cherishing each moment they would have together.

Starting now.

Desire, lust, love, and passion overtook them. And yet they couldn't fully sedate their thirst for one another, the pregnancy scandal still raw in their minds. However they did give way to a type of physical love that they had yet to experience since that time long ago in the barn. Sam knew that the next morning she wouldn't feel the same type of dirtiness she did back then. She knew Jake was the one.

They let their hands and mouths explore one another to their hearts content.

After what felt like years, though in reality it had been only a half hour, they stopped.

Breathless.

Sam felt a deep blush grace her cheeks. Her heart was pounding, and she felt an exhilarating rush she hadn't felt in many months.

They looked at each other and smiled.

"I love you Samantha." Jake said holding her hand in his.

"I love you Jake." Sam said as tears fell from her eyes. But this time Jake made her cry happy tears.

She knew that no matter what, they would be together. Nothing would stand between them. If they had overcome this they could overcome everything. Every single guilty thought they had had was all worth it in the end because now, though there was still much to talk about and figure out, many people to thank, many lectures to be heard, people's whose feelings got tangled in this long story, in the end they both knew that they would go through that

Together.


End file.
